In spite of the fact that in most applications, magnesium alloys are intended for operation in environments with room temperature, these

alloys are subject to elevated temperature and oxidizing atmosphere in various stages of preparation (casting, welding, thermal treatment).

At present, the studies focus on development of alloys with magnesium matrix, intended for plastic forming. The paper presents results of

studies on oxidation rate of WE43 and ZRE1 magnesium foundry alloys in dry and humidified atmosphere of N2+1%O2. Measurements of

the oxidation rate were carried out using a Setaram thermobalance in the temperature range of 350-480°C. Corrosion products were

analyzed by SEM-SEI, BSE and EDS. It was found that the oxide layer on the WE43 alloy has a very good resistance to oxidation. The

high protective properties of the layer should be attributed to the presence of yttrium in this alloy. On the other hand, a porous, two-layer

scale with a low adhesion to the substrate forms on the ZRE1 alloy. The increase in the sample mass in dry gas is lower than that in

humidified gas.

Ductile irons of the type of Si-Mo are characterized by increased resistance to long-term influence of high temperatures and cyclic temperature changes. They are mainly used in castings of combustion engine exhaust piping and other castings utilized at temperatures of up to 850°C. The aim of the study is to verify the mechanical properties of non-alloyed cast iron EN CSN GJS 450, SiMo4-0.5 and SiMo5-1 ductile irons at temperatures of 700 to 800°C, and the extent of their superficial oxidation after longterm annealing at a temperature of 900°C. Via chemical microanalysis the composition of oxidation products in the surface layer was evaluated.

On the basis of induction heating, radiation heating and liquid nitrogen refrigeration, high-temperature, medium-temperature, normal-temperature and low-temperature heating/refrigeration furnaces were designed, respectively. An apparatus with a wide temperature range and high accuracy applied to test oxidation resistance of materials has been developed based on the thermogravimetric method and the heat transfer principle. The apparatus consists of four heating/cooling systems, a specimen fixture positioning unit, a laser positioning unit, vertical and horizontal moving guide rails, and a high-precision weighing balance. The apparatus, based on the thermogravimetric method, is able to test oxidation resistance of materials. In the test, the temperature range was −180∼3000◦C (the highest temperature is determined by material properties). The temperature control accuracy was ±5◦C. The accuracy of on-line weighing was ±0:1 mg. The measurement uncertainty was 0.2 mg. Compared with other relevant devices, this apparatus has its own advantages: simple operation, wide heating/cooling temperature range, sufficient specimen heating, high sensitivity and precision, and short heating/cooling time. The experimental results show that the developed apparatus presented in this study not only can be used for isothermal thermogravimetric tests, but also for thermal cycling tests and multi-step oxidation tests. With the effective integration of multiple heating apparatus and refrigeration apparatus, the apparatus breaks through the limitations of the heating/cooling temperature range of the existing devices, accomplishes the high-precision oxidation resistance test of materials in a wide temperature range, and will play a great role in improving the research of materials.

In this paper, thermal oxidation resistance of silicide-coated niobium substrates was tested in a temperature range of 1300–1450°C using an HVOF burner. Pure niobium specimens were coated using the pack cementation CVD method. Three different silicide thickness coatings were deposited. Thermal oxidation resistance of the coated niobium substrates was tested in a temperature range of 1300–1450°C using an HVOF burner. All samples that passed the test showed their ability to stabilize the temperature over a time of 30 s during the thermal test. The rise time of substrate temperature takes about 10 s, following which it keeps constant values. In order to assess the quality of the Nb-Si coatings before and after the thermal test, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) along with chemical analysis (EDS), X-ray diffraction XRD and Vickers hardness test investigation were performed. Results confirmed the presence of substrate Nb compounds as well as Si addition. The oxygen compounds are a result of high temperature intense oxidizing environment that causes the generation of SiO phase in the form of quartz and cristobalite during thermal testing. Except for one specimen, all substrate surfaces pass the high temperature oxidation test with no damages.