Physicochemical mechanisms of the growth of oxide crystals on the surface of tungsten conductors heated by electric current

Abstract

Physical and mathematical modeling of stationary thermal modes of heating and oxidation of tungsten conductors heated by electric current in air has been carried out. The dependences of the stationary temperature of the conductor on the strength of the heating current are obtained. The critical values of the current strength are found, which determine the transitions to the unsteady oxidation regime. The results of calculating the temperature regimes describe well the experimental data obtained by us using the electrothermographic method.
 As a result of experimental studies, the features of the appearance and growth of crystalline oxide structures on the surface of an oxidizing tungsten conductor have been studied. The temperatures at which filamentous crystals appear on the tungsten surface are determined, and the regularities of their growth are investigated. A physicochemical mechanism of the formation and growth of crystalline oxide structures on the surface of a tungsten conductor is proposed. It was found that carbon particles, which are part of the impurity, are the reason for the formation of nitrate crystals of tungsten trioxide on the basic oxide. With an increase in the temperature of the sample, the filaments grow, branch out and transform into dendritic structures of a complex bush-like shape. It has been proven that the rapid growth of crystal structures occurs due to the deposition of clusters and microgranules of WO3 oxide from the gas phase on the crystallization centers on the surface of the conductor. At the initial stage, these are impurity particles or mechanical inhomogeneities of the basic oxide, then a growing crystal. Clusters arise due to large temperature gradients at the surface of the conductor. It has been established that carbon atoms can migrate along the branches of oxide crystal structures.
 It was found that at the initial stage the crystals grow more intensively in the longitudinal direction. However, upon reaching a certain height, they begin to expand intensively in the transverse direction. The growth rates of crystal structures in the longitudinal and transverse directions are found.