The nickel-base single crystal alloy investigated is a widely used material for first and second row
blades in stationary gas turbines. Nickel-base superalloys are especially designed to resist high
temperature oxidation by process gases. To determine this high temperature behaviour oxidation
testing was carried out using samples cut perpendicular to (001)-direction. Microstructures were
characterized by X-ray diffraction XRD, Light Microscopy LM, Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM,
and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), after a series of heat treatments (950 °C, 0 h -
1000 h). Mass gain and the respective thicknesses of the different oxide layers were measured to
determine oxidation kinetics. In general, the isothermal oxidation behaviour at 950 °C, as defined by
weight gain, follows a parabolic law with a parabolic rate constant around 1.4 · 10-2 mg2/(cm4 · h). A
short incubation time is followed by the constitution of a multi-layered oxide scale. The oxide scale
consists of a three layer structure. An outer scale contains a Ti-bearing thin film associated as TiO2
and NiTiO3 but mostly Cr attributed to Cr2O3, (Ni/Co)Cr2O4 beside NiTaO4. This outer scale is
connected to a discontinuous layer of inner oxidation consisting mainly of Al2O3, which is followed
by an area of ?´-depletion within the base material.