Abstract
We have performed high-resolution structural and chemical characterization of the native oxide films formed on a ferritic Fe- 13 at% Cr alloy at different stages of growth. The steady-state protective oxide film was found to be 5–6 nm thick, epitaxially grown, with a cubic spinel-structure ((Fe, Cr)3O4) and a Baker-Nutting orientation-relationship with the underlying alloy. Composition evolution within the oxide during growth, measured by atom probe tomography, has been explained on the basis of the low solid-state mobility of Cr3+ cations. We propose that the miscibility gap in the Fe-Cr spinel oxide solid-solution can be used to explain the reduced driving force for oxide-layer thickening with time.
Published Version
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