Oxidation of nickel by nitric oxide as a new strong oxidant

Abstract

WE have found that nitric oxide (NO) behaves as a strong oxidant for nickel at high temperatures. Oxidation curves of nickel plates were measured in nitric oxide (700 °C, 10 mmHg) and in oxygen (700 °C, 10 mmHg) by means of a microbalance and the results are shown in Fig. 1. A linear rate law was observed for nitric oxide but a parabolic rate law for oxygen where the rate of oxidation was almost the same as that published1. The rate of the oxidation of nickel in nitric oxide was very rapid in comparison with that in oxygen. The X-ray diffraction patterns from the scales formed on both of these samples gave only the patterns of NiO, and the ion microanalysis (IMA) spectra showed no evidence of nitrogen in these scales.