Degradation behavior of Ni3Al plasma-sprayed boiler tube steels in an energy generation system

Boiler steels, namely, low-C steel, ASTM-SA210-Grade A1 (GrA1), 1Cr-0.5Mo steel, ASTM-SA213-T-11 (T11) and 2.25Cr-1Mo steel, ASTM-SA213-T-22 (T22) were plasma sprayed with Ni₃Al. The alloy powder was prepared by mixing Ni and Al in the stoichiometric ratio of 3 to 1. The Ni-22Cr-10Al-1Y alloy powder was used as a bond coat, with a 150 μm thick layer sprayed onto the surface before applying the 200 μm coating of Ni₃Al. Exposure studies have been performed in the platen superheater zone of a coal-fired boiler at around 755 °C for 10 cycles, each of 100 h duration. The protection to the base steel was minimal for the three steels. Scale spallation and the formation of a porous and nonadherent NiO scale were probably the main reasons for the lack of protection. In the case of T22-coated steel, cracks in the coatings have been observed after the first 100 h exposure cycle.