The oxidation of two two-phase ternary Fe-Cu-Al alloys containing about 5% Al(mole fraction), one Fe-rich and one Cu-rich, were studied at 700℃in 1×105 Pa pure oxygen. The Fe-rich alloy (Fe-15Cu-5Al) shows two quasi-parabolic stages, with a large increase of the parabolic rate constant after about 4 h. The presence of 5% Al does not change greatly the oxidation rate of Fe-15Cu-5Al with respect to a binary Fe-Cu alloy of similar composition, which was quite different from the situation of the same alloys oxidized at 800℃. Oxidation of Fe-15Cu-5Al at 700℃produced an outer layer of iron oxides and an inner layer containing a mixture of copper metal, iron and aluminium oxide. On the contrary, the Cu-rich Fe-85Cu-5Al alloy presents a rather irregular kinetic behavior, with formation of an inner continuous alumina thin layer and a rather irregular outer layer. The outer layer with a rather irregular thickness was mainly composed of a matrix of copper oxides plus some aluminium and iron oxides presenting in the deep part of the layer at certain locations. As a result of the formation of a protective alumina layer, the presence of 5% Al greatly reduced the oxidation rate of Fe-85Cu-5Al with respect to a binary Fe-Cu alloy of similar composition, which was also quite different from the situation of the same alloys oxidized at 800℃. Moreover, the oxidation rate at 700℃of the Fe-85Cu-5Al alloy was much lower than that of Fe-15Cu-5Al alloy due to the same reason..
The oxidation of binary Ni-Al alloy containing 15%（mole fraction, the same below if not mentioned） （Al （Ni-15Al）,） and of a ternary alloy with the same Al content but also containing 4% Si （Ni-4Si-15Al） has been studied at （1 000） ℃ under 1.0×105Pa O2 to examine the effect of the addition of Si on the oxidation of Ni-15Al. Oxidation of Ni-15Al produces a duplex scale composed of an outer NiO layer and an inner layer riched in Al2O3. On the contrary, Ni-4Si-15Al forms an external alumina layer directly in contact with the alloy presenting only trace of NiO and the Ni-Al spinel. As a result, the kinetics of Ni-15Al shows a fast initial stage followed by two subsequent parabolic stages with decreasing rate constants, while Ni-4Si-15Al presents essentially a single nearly-parabolic behavior with a rate constant similar to that of the final stage of Ni-15Al. Therefore, the addition of 4% Si significantly reduces the oxidation rate during the initial stage by preventing the formation of Ni-riched scales and promoting an earlier development of an exclusive external alumina layer on the alloy surface.
