A new insight into the mechanism of Ce enhancing high temperature oxidation resistance of hot-formed steel

In this paper, the effect of Ce addition on high temperature oxidation behavior of hot-formed steel was studied by high temperature oxidation experiment. The structure and phase composition of surface oxide layer of specimens with different Ce content were systematically analyzed by SEM, EDS, XPS. The results showed that the addition of Ce promoted the formation of a dense oxide layer during the initial oxidation stage, and effectively weaken the oxidation degree of the steel surface. Meanwhile, the Ce2O3 particles segregation in Si–Cr rich phase reduced the concentration of vacancy defects in oxide layer and enhanced the adhesion between oxide layer and substrate. After Ce addition, the surface oxidation resistance of hot-formed steel is significantly improved.