Effect of Boronizing on the Oxidation Resistance of 316L Stainless Steel

The effect of boronizing treatment on oxidation at high temperature on 316L stainless steel was studied at 850, 900, 950, and 1000°C in air, for holding times between 0.25 and 24 h. The oxidation resistance of unboronized and boronized specimens was studied isothermally by thermogravimetric analyzer. The oxidation rate constant represented as a parabolic rate constant K_{p} was evaluated. Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and the scanning electron microscopy were used for surface characterizations. The experimental results show that boronized coating increases the resistance of stainless steel 316l about twice and prevents oxygen from penetrating into the stainless steel substrate at the temperatures between 850 and 1000°C.