Oxidation resistance in LBE and air and tensile properties of ODS ferritic steels containing Al/Zr elements

The effects of Al and Zr addition on improvement of oxidation resistance in lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) and in air as well as the tensile properties were investigated for the oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels. The 16Cr-4Al-0.8Zr-ODS steel samples were fabricated by a sol-gel method combining with spark plasma sintering technique. The tests in LBE at 600 °C for 1000 h indicate the good oxidation resistance comparing with the specimens without Zr/Al elements. The samples also exhibit superior oxidation resistance in air due to formation of dense and continuous aluminum oxide film. Minor Zr addition prevents the Al element induced coarsening of the oxide particles in ODS steels and significantly improves the ultimate tensile stress and total elongation of the samples.