Air and chlorine gas corrosion of different silicon carbides analyzed by nano-Fourier-transform infrared (nano-FTIR) spectroscopy

C. Vogel, P. Hermann, B. Kästner, B. Adamczyk, A. Hoehl, G. Ulm and C. Adam

Corrosion Science 131, 324-329 (2017)
The present study shows the potential of high-resolution imaging and nano-Fourier-transform infrared (nano-FTIR) spectroscopy for corrosion science. The protective oxidation layers of different chlorine-gas treated silicon carbides (SiCs) were characterized with these techniques. A nitrified SiC showed the highest resistant strength against chlorine corrosion at 1000 °C compared to the other SiCs. Nano-FTIR spectroscopy with a lateral resolution below 40 nm detected differences in the crystallinity of the bulk-SiC and in the transitional region to the protective layer. Furthermore, high-resolution imaging provides deep insight in the interfacial layer between bulk-SiC and the protective oxidation layer on sub-micrometer scale.