The evolution of internal stresses in oxide scales growing on polycrystalline Fe3Al alloy in atmospheric air at 700 °C was determined using in situ energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Ex situ texture analyses were performed after 5 h of oxidation at 700 °C. Under these conditions, the oxide-scale thickness, as determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, lies between 80 and 100 nm. The main phase present in the oxide scales is α-Al2O3, with minor quantities of metastable θ-Al2O3 detected in the first minutes of oxidation, as well as α-Fe2O3. α-Al2O3 grows with a weak (0001) fiber texture in the normal direction. During the initial stages of oxidation the scale develops, increasing levels of compressive stresses which later evolve to a steady state condition situated around −300 MPa.
