LAUSR

The corrosion behavior of an Fe–20Mn–11Al–1.8C–5Cr alloy prepared by spark plasma sintering was investigated via immersion tests in molten aluminum at 750 °C for 1 and 4 h, respectively, and a hot work steel (AISI H13) was included as a reference. The experimental results show that the corrosion rate of Fe–20Mn–11Al–1.8C–5Cr alloy is ~ 24% of that of H13 steel, suggesting that Fe–20Mn–11Al–1.8C–5Cr alloy in molten aluminum possesses better corrosion resistance than H13 steel. Detailed analysis show that κ-carbide ((Fe, Mn)3AlCx) and Cr7C3 carbide precipitated in the matrix play a key role in enhancing the corrosion resistance of Fe–20Mn–11Al–1.8C–5Cr alloy in molten aluminum. Both of them show better corrosion resistance than γ-Fe matrix and H13 steel, and can also take on the role of roots in grasping the corrosion product and restrain them from spalling into the molten aluminum.