Influence of testing environment on the room temperature ductility of FeAl alloys

The effects of testing atmospheres (air, O2, N2, and vacuum) on the room-temperature ductility of Fe-40Al, Fe-40Al-0.5B, and Fe-50Al alloys were investigated. The results confirmed the decrease in room-temperature ductility of Fe-rich FeAl alloys by the interaction of the aluminide with water vapor, reported previously by Liu et al. (1989). The highest ductilities were measured in the atmosphere with the lowest moisture levels, i.e., in vacuum. It was found that significant ductility is still restricted to Fe-rich alloys (Fe-40Al), as the Fe-50Al alloy remained brittle under all testing conditions. It was also found that slow cooling after annealing was beneficial, and the effect was additive to the environmental effect. The highest ductility measurements in this study were 9 percent elongation in furnace-cooled Fe-40Al and in Fe-40Al-0.5B, when tested in vacuum.