Characterization of chemical information and morphology for in‐depth oxide layers in decarburized electrical steel with glow discharge sputtering

A combination of scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy with a sampling method by glow discharge sputtering was successfully employed to characterize the chemical information and microscopic features of oxide layers formed during decarburization annealing of electrical steel in the depth direction at high resolution. The discontinuous surface oxides consisted of SiO₂, (Fe,Mn)SiO₃/(Fe,Mn)₂SiO₄, and FeO. SiO₂ embedded in the (Fe,Mn)₂SiO₄ at the surface may be developed by the preferential nucleation and growth kinetics. The discrete or often relatively spherical oxides of internal oxidation by the energetically favorable surface effect were identified as a mixture of SiO₂ and (Fe,Mn)₂SiO₄ at a depth of ~0.5 µm from the surface. The oxides of networks and small particles at a depth greater than ~1 µm were solely silica, of which the morphologies were possibly caused by the enhanced diffusion of oxygen atoms and Si atoms at grain boundaries or sub‐grain boundaries. The equilibrium and kinetic considerations served by theoretical calculations were introduced to understand the formation and behavior of the observed in‐depth oxidation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal decomposition of metal methanesulfonates in air

The thermal decompositions of dehydrated or anhydrous bivalent transition metal (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd) and alkali rare metal (Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) methanesulfonates were studied by TG/DTG, IR and XRD techniques in dynamic Air at 250–850 °C. The initial decomposition temperatures were calculated from TG curves for each compound, which show the onsets of mass loss of methanesulfonates were above 400 °C. For transition metal methanesulfonates, the pyrolysis products at 850 °C were metal oxides. For alkali rare metal methanesulfonates, the pyrolysis products at 850 °C of Sr and Ba methanesulfonates were sulphates, while those of Mg and Ca methanesulfonate were mixtures of sulphate and oxide.     

Influence of minor alloying elements on the initial stages of oxidation of austenitic stainless steel materials

Surface oxidation of Fe‐19Cr‐17Ni, Fe‐19Cr‐18Ni‐1Al and TiC‐enriched Fe‐19Cr‐18Ni‐1Al alloys was investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy (PES). The experiments were conducted at 323 K in pure O₂ (2.7 × 10^?6 mbar). Composition and morphology of the nanoscale surface oxides were determined quantitatively by inelastic electron background analysis. Moreover, use of synchrotron radiation facilities were necessary to obtain improved sensitivity for studying minor alloying elements such as Al and Si. The results indicate oxygen‐induced segregation of Al, which significantly hinders the oxidation of the major alloying elements Fe and Cr. Ti remains in its inert carbide form. The relative concentration of Fe within the oxide layer was found to increase with the oxide‐layer thickness, indicating greater mobility of Fe relative to other alloying elements. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evolution of surface chemistry during sintering of water-atomized iron and low-alloyed steel powder

Water-atomized iron and steel powder is commonly used as the base material for powder metallurgy (PM) of ferrous components. The powder surface chemistry is characterized by a thin surface oxide layer and more thermodynamically stable oxide particulates whose extent, distribution, and composition change during the sintering cycle due to a complex set of oxidation–reduction reactions. In this study, the surface chemistry of iron and steel powder was investigated by combined surface and thermal analysis. The progressive reduction of oxides was studied using model sintering cycles in hydrogen atmospheres in a thermogravimetric (TG) setup, with experiments ended at intermediate steps (500–1300°C) of the heating stage. The surface chemistry of the samples was then investigated by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to reveal changes that occurred during heating. The results show that reduction of the surface oxide layer occurs at relatively lower temperature for the steel powder, attributed to an influence of chromium, which is supported by a strong increase in Cr content immediately after oxide layer reduction. The reduction of the stable oxide particulates was shifted to higher temperatures, reflecting their higher thermodynamic stability. A complementary vacuum annealing treatment at 800°C was performed in a furnace directly connected to the XPS instrument allowing for sample transfer in vacuum. The results showed that Fe oxides were completely reduced, with segregation and growth of Cr and Mn oxides on the particle surfaces. This underlines the sequential reduction of oxides during sintering that reflects the thermodynamic stability and availability of oxide-forming elements.     

Co-doping a metal (Cr,Mn, Fe,Co, Ni,Cu, and Zn) on Mn/ZSM-5 catalyst and its effect on the catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides with ammonia

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO_x by NH₃ over a series of Mn–M/Z catalysts (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Z = the ZSM-5 Zeolite) synthesized by wet impregnation method was investigated. Mn–Fe/Z, Mn–Co/Z, and Mn–Cu/Z catalysts exhibited approximately 100 % NO_x conversion over a wide temperature range (200–360 °C) in a defined atmospheric condition, which was noticeably greater than that of Mn–Cr/Z (340–360 °C). Furthermore, the effect of addition of second metal oxide species to the initial Mn/Z catalyst on the structure of catalysts was studied by several characterization techniques. BET measurements revealed high surface area and pore volume of the Mn–Cu/Z catalyst. In addition, the XRD and UV–Vis DR results showed that addition of co-doped metal oxide species improved the dispersion of metal ions and inhibited crystallization of metal oxides. UV–Vis studies also were in good accordance with DTA/TG results confirming the formation of cobalt oxide and copper oxide clusters in Mn–Co/Z and Mn–Cu/Z catalysts, respectively. The FTIR spectra of pyridine adsorption, in addition, suggested the Mn–Cu/Z catalyst contained the most Lewis acid sites leading to more NO_x adsorption capacity.     

Ultrasound-assisted synthesis of nanostructured transition metal oxides

Ultrasound pretreatment of aqueous solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as a structure- directing agent has been applied to prepare nanostructured mesoporous Mn, Fe, and Ni oxides. After removal of the template by triple extraction with a water–ethanol solution of sodium acetate or ammonium chloride, air-calcined samples of oxide materials prepared in such a way possess surface areas of about 300–450 m²/g and are thermally stable up to 300°C.     

Oxidation behavior of rare earth oxide-coated Fe20Cr and Fe20Cr5Al alloys

This article presents the influence of surface additions of nanocrystalline rare earth (RE) oxides CeO₂, La₂O₃, and CeO₂ + La₂O₃ on the isothermal oxidation behavior of Fe20Cr and Fe20Cr5Al at 1000 °C. Thermogravimetric studies revealed parabolic kinetics in all cases and the scale thickness on specimen surfaces varied with the nature of RE oxide. The oxidation resistance of specimens coated with two RE oxides was significantly higher than those coated with either one of the two oxides. The marked increase in the oxidation resistance of the alloys coated with two RE oxides is due to optimization of RE ion radius and RE oxide grain size/shape.     

Thermal behavior of Ni,Cu- and Ce,Zr-containing oxide layers on titanium,formed by plasma-electrolytic oxidation technique

The influence of air annealing at 800, 850, and 900°C on the composition and structure of the surface of Ni,Cu- and Ce,Zr-containing oxide structures on titanium, formed by the plasma-electrolytic oxidation technique, was examined.     

Application of thermal analysis techniques to study the oxidation/reduction phenomena during sintering of steels containing oxygen-sensitive alloying elements

For the consolidation of steel parts manufactured by powder metallurgy (PM) techniques, removal of the surface oxides covering metallic powder particles is a necessary prerequisite. In PM steels with conventional compositions, reduction of the oxides is easily achieved in traditional sintering furnaces. However, processing steels containing alloying elements with a high oxygen affinity represents a big challenge that requires a deeper understanding of the chemical processes occurring during sintering. In the present work, thermogravimetry analysis coupled with mass spectrometry is used to describe the oxidation/reduction phenomena that take place when sintering steel powders and how these processes are modified by the addition of admixed particles containing oxygen-sensitive elements. Carbothermal reduction processes are studied using pure oxides (Fe₂O₃, MnO₂, Cr₂O₃ and SiO₂) as well as water-atomized Fe powders mixed with small amounts—4 mass/%—of Cr, Mn and Si powders or Fe–Mn–Si–(Cr) master alloy powders. The results show that there is an oxygen transfer from the base iron particles to the oxidation-sensitive elements—“internal getter effect”—taking place mostly through the gas phase. Different alloying elements (Cr, Mn, Si) show different temperature ranges of susceptibility to oxidation. Combination of these oxygen-sensitive alloying elements in the form of a master alloy powder reduces their sensitivity to oxidation. Also, the use of master alloys promotes the concentration of the oxides on the surface of the alloying particles and not in the grain boundaries of the surrounding iron particles—as occurs when using Mn carriers—which should have a beneficial impact on the final mechanical performance.     

Investigation on structure and morphology of the thermally treated glassy alloy (Fe,Cr)80(P,C,Si)20 by means of ESCA and SEM/EDXA

Metallic glass ribbons of the chemical composition (Fe,Cr)₈₀(P,C,Si)₂₀ have been thermally treated in the region between 530 and 980°C for 72 h. The SEM/EDXA investigations indicate that a phase transformation takes place between 575 and 980°C in a surface layer of 5 μm thickness. Thus, a Cr-rich phase occurs between 760 and 800°C which is converted into an open-pore system between 850 and 900°C. The oxidation process reaches its maximum at 760°C. The ESCA spectra of the material in the “as received” state and of the thermally treated samples indicate that different oxygen species are formed within the analysed surface layer of 10 nm. The oxygen of the original material is incorporated as hydroxyl groups in species such as FeO(OH) and CrO(OH). After thermal treating the hydroxyl content decreases and the oxide content increases. Species of Si exist in the surface layer as SiO_x-like compounds (peak at BE=102.0 eV). A majority phase of transition metal phosphide species is coexisting with oxidised phosphate species.     

Study on the solid solubility of transition metals in high-purity silicon by instrumental neutron activation analysis and anticompton-spectrometry

The solid solubility of the 3d metals Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni in high-purity silicon was studied by INAA and electron paramagnetic resonance techniques in the temperature range of ≊600°C–1250°C. The solubility increases with atomic number from Cr to Mn and more distinctly from Co to Ni. For Mn, Fe and Co the solubilities are nearly the same within the experimental errors. An enthalpy of formation (ΔH) of about 2.8 eV was determined for Cr, Mn, Fe and Co, whereas for Ni 1.7 eV was derived. Relatively large diffusion coefficients were estimated from the rather short times, in which saturation of the solid solution was reached. From these observations and from the results of the EPR measurements it is concluded that the 3d metals occupy predominantly interstitial sites in the silicon lattice in thermal equilibrium.     

Microstructural evolution of protective La–Cr–O films studied by transmission electron microscopy

Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) were performed to study the microstructural evolution of La–Cr–O thin films deposited by radio frequency (RF)-magnetron sputtering on stainless steel substrates. Chromium L edges and oxygen K edges are analyzed to determine the valence states of the chromium and elucidate the phase evolution of the thin film. The as-deposited amorphous thin film crystallized to LaCrO₄ and finally transformed to the LaCrO₃ stable phase during annealing at 800°C. An intermediate Cr/Mn oxide layer was formed in all annealed samples. The thickness of this oxide layer stabilizes after 700°C, which indicates that the LaCrO₃ thin film plays a role in inhibiting the growth of an oxide layer on the metal surface.     

Investigation of surface structure and composition of in situ annealed Fe–Mn binary alloy samples using RHEED and electron spectroscopy

The formation of oxides at the surface of Fe–1.5%Mn and Fe–0.6%Mn binary alloys was investigated as a function of the conditions of the heat treatments. Both the influence of temperature and the atmosphere under which the experiments were performed were studied. The range of annealing temperatures was adjusted to 800°C. The atmosphere consisted of a mixture of N₂–5%H₂ and traces of water vapour, with different fixed dew points ranging from −10°C to −30°C. The state of the annealed surfaces was determined using in situ analytical devices attached to the annealing reactor in order to avoid surface contamination or the formation of native oxides after the experiments due to contact with air. The structure and composition of the surfaces were determined by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) and electron spectroscopy (XPS, AES). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-temperature oxidation behaviour of low-entropy alloy to medium- and high-entropy alloys

The high-temperature oxidation behaviour of CoCrNi, CoCrNiMn, and CoCrNiMnFe equimolar alloys was investigated. All three alloys have a single-phase face-centred cubic structure. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) were conducted at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1000 °C for 24 h in dry air. The kinetic curves of the oxidation were measured by TGA, and the microstructure and chemical element distribution in different regions of the specimens were analysed. The oxidation kinetics of the three alloys followed the two-stage parabolic rate law, with rate constants generally increasing with increasing temperature. CoCrNi displayed the highest resistance to oxidation, followed by CoCrNiMnFe and CoCrNiMn exhibiting the least resistance to oxidation. The addition of Mn to CoCrNi increased the oxidation rate. The oxidation resistance of CoCrNiMn was enhanced by the addition of Fe. Less Mn Content and the formation of more Cr₂O₃ were responsible for the reduction in the oxidation rates of CoCrNiMnFe. The calculated activation energies of CoCrNiMn and CoCrNiMnFe at 800, 850 and 900 °C were 108 and 137 kJ mol^?1, respectively, and are comparable to that of Mn diffusion in Mn oxides. The diffusion of Mn through the oxides at 800–900 °C is considered to be the rate-limiting process. The intense diffusion of Cr at 1000 °C contributed to the formation of CrMn_1.5O₄ spinel with Mn in the outer layer of CoCrNiMn and Cr₂O₃ in the outer layer of CoCrNiMn.     

Investigation of oxide films on ferritic stainless steel

Summary While annealing cold-rolled strip of ferritic stainless steel in protective atmosphere oxide films may form on the surface. These parts of strip are defective material because of their deteriorated workability and appearance. For detailed investigation of the structure of the oxide layers concerning chemical composition and thickness, they were analysed by SNMS, SEM, and chemical methods.The oxide layers which look yellowish, brown, blue or grey (annealing colours) have a max. thickness of 0.4 m. They consist of oxides of Cr, Mn, Si and Ti. Thickness, chemical composition, colour and the sequence of different oxides in the layer depend on annealing time, annealing temperature and the oxidation potential of the protective atmosphere.     

Oxidation, Diffusion and Segregation in CuNi(Mn) Films Studied by AES

 The surface and in-depth compositions of sputter-deposited Cu_0.57Ni_0.42Mn_0.01 thin films were studied by Auger electron depth profiling after thermal treatment. The samples were thermally cycled to maximum temperatures of 300 °C to 550 °C in air, argon and forming gas (N₂, 5 vol. % H₂). Linear least-squares fit to standard spectra and factor analysis were applied to separate the overlapping Auger transitions of Cu and Ni. Under bombardment by 4 keV argon ions, CuNi(Mn) layers display bombardment-induced surface enrichment of Ni in the same extent as binary CuNi alloys. At sufficiently high oxygen partial pressures, a duplex oxide layer is formed and a thick surface copper oxide overgrows the initial nickel oxide. In reducing atmosphere selective oxidation of manganese takes place. A capping NiCr layer prevents CuNi(Mn) from being oxidized, but the film configuration is degraded with increasing annealing temperature due to formation of a surface chromium oxide and diffusion of Ni from the CuNi(Mn) layer into the NiCr/CuNi(Mn) interface.     

Dielectric and magnetic properties of multiferroic BiFeO3 ceramics sintered with the powders prepared by hydrothermal method

BiFeO₃ ceramics were sintered in the temperature range of 700–900 °C by using the pure BiFeO₃ powders hydrothermally synthesized at 250 °C. The low reaction temperature and low sintering temperature prevent the element volatilization and phase decomposition. The ceramics sintered at 800 and 850 °C exhibit much dense microstructure with clear grains and grain boundaries. They also show high dielectric constant, dielectric dispersion and low loss tangent. At room temperature, the dielectric behaviors of BiFeO₃ ceramics are mainly attributed to the transition of localized charge carriers and the microstructure of grains and grain boundaries. The temperature dependence of dielectric constant and loss tangent confirms that the localized charge carriers are a main contribution to the dielectric permittivity. Activation energy E_α of relaxation process for the BiFeO₃ ceramic sintered at 850 °C is 0.397 eV. The obtained BiFeO₃ ceramics show magnetic responses, which are relative to the grain size.     

Characterization of the electronic structure and thermal stability of HfO2/SiO2/Si gate dielectric stack

X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to investigate thermal stability of HfO₂ on SiO₂/Si substrate prepared by atomic layer deposition, followed by annealing at different temperature. Hf silicate and Hf silicide are formed at the interface of HfO₂ and SiO₂ during deposition. The Hf silicide disappears, while the amount of the Hf silicate is intensified after post‐deposition annealing treatment at 400 °C. Phase separation of the Hf silicate layer occurs when the annealing temperature is over 400 °C, resulting in the Hf silicate decomposition into Si and Hf oxides. Moreover, crystallization at high temperature leads to grain boundaries formation, which deteriorates the gate leakage current, as observed by the electrical measurements. The similar annealing temperature dependence of both internal electric field and the amount of Hf silicate implies that the Hf silicate plays a key role in building up the internal electric field, which is attributed to generation of oxygen vacancies (V_o) in the Hf silicate layer. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Annealing effects on the morphology and luminescence of cubic boron nitride based ceramics

Cubic boron nitride based ceramics with silicon were sintered at 1350 °C under a pressure of 5.0 GPa. The effects of post-annealing on grain morphology, surface morphology, and photoluminescence of Si–cBN ceramics were investigated by scanning electron microscope and room temperature photoluminescence measurements. The results showed that the annealing treatment had great influence on cBN grain morphology, rather than the surface morphology. The luminescence intensity increased with annealing temperature and annealing time. The void-net structure formed by continuous distribution of SiO_x particulate on the ceramic surface resulted in the emission band peaking at about 701.2 nm, and the tense passivation of Si by SiO_x led to the peak's low intensity. The near ultraviolet emission band peaking at about 317 nm was attributed to the oxygen vacancies formed in cBN grain surface, caused by the scavenging of oxygen from the cBN grain surface by the added Si.     

Metal oxide promoted TiO2 catalysts for photo-assisted selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3

The photo-assisted selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO with NH₃ (Photo-SCR) was performed over TiO₂ modified by supporting 1 wt% of various transition metal (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ta or W) oxides aiming at the improvement of the photo-SCR activity. The addition of Nb, Mo or W oxide to TiO₂ was found to enhance the photo-SCR activity. We have reported that the amount of acid sites on TiO₂ is one of the key factors to the photo-SCR activity. The increase in the activity depends on the enhancement of acidity of catalyst by the addition of Nb, Mo or W oxide. In contrast, the addition of V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu oxide to TiO₂ lowered the photo-SCR activity, although addition of metal cations also changed the acidity of TiO₂. We guess that the reduction of the activity was caused by two reasons; the first is that the sites newly formed on these transition metal oxides is not photoactive and the second is that TiO₂ supporting V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni or Cu oxides had low stabilities under the reaction conditions, i.e., the chemical state of the cations changed during the reaction. Therefore, we concluded that the increase in the acid sites that are active sites for photo-SCR and the stability of the catalysts are important for the photo-SCR.