High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior and Compositional Evolution of Titanium Beryllide Coating on Stainless Steel

Research into the application of protective titanium beryllide coatings in thermonuclear devices and high-temperature structures is currently of great interest. However, the harsh operating environments of thermonuclear devices impose severe thermal loads, causing rapid oxidation and degradation of structural materials like stainless steel. While titanium beryllide serves as a promising high-temperature alternative to pure beryllium, its long-term corrosion behavior and structural stability under extreme thermal conditions remain insufficiently understood. This paper presents the results of a study of titanium beryllide protective coatings under high-temperature corrosion testing conditions. Titanium beryllide coatings were applied to a stainless steel substrate using DC magnetron sputtering. Isothermal oxidation in air was used to determine the corrosion resistance of the coated steel. Test temperatures were 700, 900, and 1100 °C. Testing and subsequent studies of coating and substrate degradation demonstrated that titanium beryllide coatings effectively protect the substrate material from high-temperature oxidation. Moreover, the mechanism of coating structure transformation changes with increasing temperature. The interdiffusion of substrate and coating elements allows for an extended protective effect of the coatings.