A family of inexpensive, Al ₂ O ₃ -forming, high–creep strength austenitic stainless steels has been developed. The alloys are based on Fe-20Ni-14Cr-2.5Al weight percent, with strengthening achieved through nanodispersions of NbC. These alloys offer the potential to substantially increase the operating temperatures of structural components and can be used under the aggressive oxidizing conditions encountered in energy-conversion systems. Protective Al ₂ O ₃ scale formation was achieved with smaller amounts of aluminum in austenitic alloys than previously used, provided that the titanium and vanadium alloying additions frequently used for strengthening were eliminated. The smaller amounts of aluminum permitted stabilization of the austenitic matrix structure and made it possible to obtain excellent creep resistance. Creep-rupture lifetime exceeding 2000 hours at 750°C and 100 megapascals in air, and resistance to oxidation in air with 10% water vapor at 650° and 800°C, were demonstrated.

We present results from a detailed experimental investigation of LaFeAsO, the parent material in the series of “FeAs” based oxypnictide superconductors. Upon cooling, this material undergoes a tetragonal-orthorhombic crystallographic phase transition at $\sim 160\text{K}$ followed closely by an antiferromagnetic ordering near 145 K. Analysis of these phase transitions using temperature dependent powder x-ray and neutron-diffraction measurements is presented. A magnetic moment of $\sim 0.35{\mu }_B$ per iron is derived from Mössbauer spectra in the low-temperature phase. Evidence of the structural transition is observed at temperatures well above the transition temperature (up to near 200 K) in the diffraction data as well as the polycrystalline elastic moduli probed by resonant ultrasound spectroscopy measurements. The effects of the two phase transitions on the transport properties (resistivity, thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and Hall coefficient), heat capacity, and magnetization of LaFeAsO are also reported, including a dramatic increase in the magnitude of the Hall coefficient below 160 K. The results suggest that the structural distortion leads to a localization of carriers on Fe, producing small local magnetic moments which subsequently order antiferromagnetically upon further cooling. Evidence of strong electron-phonon interactions in the high-temperature tetragonal phase is also observed.