Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
B2-RuAl as a potential intermetallic for thin-film applications at high temperatures is studied with respect to thin-film synthesis and cyclic oxidation behaviour. Using the multilayer approach, single phase RuAl thin films were fabricated. The phase sequence from the elements Ru and Al goes through RuAl6 to the final product RuAl. To understand the reaction mechanism calorimetric as well as kinetic experiments were performed. The cyclic oxidation behavior is characterized at 1200 °C up to 47 h. The morphology of the grown alumina shows no cracks or regions of spallation which indicates the good cyclic oxidation behavior. Compressive stresses in the oxidation scale of about 1.2 GPa at maximum were determined.