The relation between chromia scale spallation during oxidation or cooling down of ferritic stainless steels is generally discussed in terms of mechanical stresses induced by volume changes or differential thermal expansion. In the present paper, growth and thermal stress measurements in scales grown on different ferritic steel grades have shown that the main stress accumulation occurs during isothermal scale growth and that thermal stresses are of minor importance. However, when spallation occurs, it is always during cooling down. Steel-oxide interface undulation seems to play a major role at this stage, thus relating spallation to the metal mechanical properties, thickness and surface preparation. A major influence on spallation of the minor stabilizing elements of the steels was observed which could not be related to any difference in stress state. Therefore, an original inverted blister test was developed to derive quantitative values of the metal-oxide adhesion energy. These values clearly confirmed that this parameter was influenced by scale thickness and by minor additions, titanium greatly increasing adhesion whereas niobium decreased it.
chromia scales; oxide stress; oxide adhesion; ferritic stainless steels
