Coatings niobium silicide

The nozzle of original design was fabricated from a niobium alloy coated with niobium silicide and could not operate above 1320°C. This was replaced by a thin shell of rhenium protected on the inside by a thin layer of iridium. The iridium was deposited first on a disposable mandrel, from iridium acetylacetonate (pentadionate) (see Ch. 6). The rhenium was then deposited over the iridium by hydrogen reduction of the chloride. The mandrel was then chemically removed. Iridium has a high melting point (2410°C) and provides good corrosion protection for the rhenium. The nozzle was tested at 2000°C and survived 400 cycles in a high oxidizer to fuel ratio with no measurable corrosion.O l... 

Protection of niobium and its alloys from oxidation in air is accomplished by coating, e.g. with zinc deposited by holding in zinc vapour at 865°C or coating with a layer of chemically stable oxide, nitride or silicide. Silicide coatings applied by pack cementation, fused slurry or by electrolytic methods have been found to be one of the most effective means of preventing oxidation of the metal. 

Priceman, C. and Soma, L., Development of Fused Slurry Silicide Coatings for the Elevated Temperature Oxidation Protection of Niobium and Tantalum Alloys, Report AFML-TR-68-210, Sylvania Electric Products Inc., Dec. (1968)... 

Babu, N.S., Ramesh Narayanan, P., Natarajan, A., 1995. Metallographic characterisation of silicide coatings on niobium alloys. Prakt. Metallogr. 32, 260. 

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