ANTIOXIDATION PROTECTION OF STAINLESS-STEEL BY LANTHANUM DEPOSITION -ADVANTAGES OF THE SYNCHROTRON X-RAY-DIFFRACTION FOR STRUCTURAL STUDIES

High-resolution and anomalous-scattering X-ray diffraction techniques have been combined with SEM observation and RES spectroscopy for chara cterising the structure of the oxides present in the oxide scale of a lanthanum-coated stainless steel and compared with a non-coated sample . The observation has been made at the point at which the oxidation ra te of the non-coated stainless steel diverges from the behaviour of th e lanthanum-coated sample. The main component of the protective oxide scale is found to be Fe2O3. (C) 1995 Elsevier Science S.A.