Effects of boron addition on the high temperature oxidation of MoSi2 alloys

Boron containing MoSi2 is a promising material for applications at high temperature, but the oxidation mechanism is still unclear. In this work, the high temperature (1100 degrees C) oxidation of B doped MoSi2 in synthetic air has been investigated. A (boro)silicate layer is formed on the surface of the alloy, which features a mixture of amorphous SiO2 and cristobalite. After an initial transient period, the oxidation kinetics follows a parabolic growth rate law. The growth rate constant of the oxide layer is enhanced by the boron in the alloy by 90 % per at. % B. The increase in growth rate is associated with boron mitigating the formation of cristobalite thereby promoting the formation of amorphous SiO2.