Heat treatment and Oxidation processes
With the help of a heat treatment the microstructure of metallic and intermetallic materials can be changed, simultaneously influencing the mechanical properties. A heat treatment can be used, for example, after melting processes in order to reduce segregations leading to a more homogeneous microstructure. Furthermore, a heat treatment can be used to create precipitations. For materials processed via powder metallurgy heat treatments are used to realize compaction by sintering processes.
For high temperature applications, not only the mechanical properties but also the thermal stability is a decisive aspect for a long service time of components. Under atmospheric conditions (in air), high temperature materials may suffer from oxidation and corrosion. Therefore, to simulate real operating conditions of high temperature materials we investigate the oxidation behavior of samples at high temperatures in special furnaces.
