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Oxidation of zirconium at high temperature and structure of the primary oxide film

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The Soviet Journal of Atomic Energy Aims and scope

Abstract

A study of the oxidation of zirconium in oxygen and water vapor in the temperature range of 150–800 °C has shown that oxidation occurs in a series of stages.

In the first oxidation stage, a thin film is formed with the definite texture of a cubic modification and possessing high passivity.

The second stage is marked by the appearance of a textural monoclinic modification situated beneath the cubic modification. Subsequent increase in thickness of the film is due to the growth of the underlying monoclinic modification.

The third oxidation stage is marked by the disappearance of the texture of the black film consisting of the cubic and monoclinic modifications and its conversion to a white film. At the same time, there is a sharp increase in the rate of oxidation of the zirconium.

We attribute the high corrosion resistance of the black film on zirconium to the presence of a textured solid solution of zirconium in ZrO2.

It is shown that the protective properties of the black film evidently disappear with maximum oxygen saturation of this solid solution, resulting in the formation of a white, nontextured zirconium dioxide of stoichiometric composition.

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Literature cited

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Authors
  1. E. S. Sarkisov
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  2. N. T. Chebotarev
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  3. A. A. Nevzorova
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  4. A. I. Zver'kov
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Sarkisov, E.S., Chebotarev, N.T., Nevzorova, A.A. et al. Oxidation of zirconium at high temperature and structure of the primary oxide film. The Soviet Journal of Atomic Energy 5, 1465–1470 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01498490

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01498490

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