Sur l'oxydation sèche du cuivre et de ses alliages I, Influence de la température sur l'oxydation isochrone du cuivre pur

Electropolished samples of copper were kept in contact with dry oxygen under atmospheric pressure, at temperatures ranging from 100° to 900° C. Oxide films were formed. These were all examined under the microscope, by electron diffraction and in some cases by X ray diffraction and with an electron microscope. They were also analysed qualitatively and quantitatively, by Miley's electrochemical method. It was shown that the direct oxidation of copper always led to cuprous oxide Cu2O. At temperatures higher than 224° C cuprous oxide was in its turn oxidized to cupric oxide CuO. Above 317° C the rate of oxidation was so great that cuprous oxide could no longer be detected in the films. It appeared also that the first layers of cuprous oxide had a strong [III] orientation, which disappeared as soon as film thickness reached about 700A. Cupric oxide behaved in a quite different manner. At first it was randomly orientated, but recrystallized as it thickened, and finally showed, in very thick films, a very marked orientation. Finally it was shown that the beginning of scalling coincided with the first appearance of cupric oxide but disappeared for temperatures higher than 800° C. Copyright © 1951 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, WeinheimSCOPUS: ar.j