Isothermal oxidation behavior of powder metallurgy beta gamma TiAl–2Nb–2Mo alloy

A new TiAl–2Nb–2Mo beta gamma alloy was synthesized by powder metallurgy process. HIP’ed and vacuum heat treated specimens were isothermally oxidized at 800 °C and 900 °C in air up to 500 h. The TiAl–2Nb–2Mo alloy oxidized parabolically up to 500 h at both 800 °C and 900 °C. The oxides consisted of outer TiO₂ layer, intermediate Al₂O₃ layer, and inner TiO₂ rich mixed layer and the oxidation mechanisms of the alloy were identical at both temperatures. During oxidation, the degradation of lamellar colonies formed a diffusion zone just below the oxide/substrate interface consisting of γ-TiAl matrix and dispersed beta phases which contained high concentration of Nb and Mo. The oxidation rate of the TiAl–2Nb–2Mo alloy is more sensitive to temperature than those of the Ti–48Al–2Nb–2Cr and Ti–48Al–2Nb–2Cr–W alloys.