Corrosion behavior and microstructural evolution of BN –ZrO 2 –SiC composites in molten steel

Abstract The influence of SiC content on corrosion resistance and microstructural evolution of BN –ZrO 2 –SiC composites after corrosion in molten steel at 1600°C has been investigated. The corrosion resistance of BN –ZrO 2 –SiC composite decreases with increasing the SiC content. When the SiC content is more than 15 vol%, the corrosion rate begins to accelerate sharply. A resintered ZrO 2 bilayer structure with a distinctly reduced porosity in the corrosion layer contributes significantly to the enhanced corrosion resistance. Thus, optimizing the SiC content and tailoring the microstructural feature of residual corrosion layer are effective ways to improve the corrosion resistance of BN –ZrO 2 –SiC composite.