High-Temperature Oxidation of Ni–20 wt.% Cu from 700 to 1100°C

Ni–20 wt.% Cu was oxidized in different oxygen pressures from 1×10−5 to 1 atm at 700–1100°C. The oxidation consisted of an initial transient period in which a composite scale of NiO and Cu oxides formed, and a subsequent quasi steady-state regime during which parabolic growth of NiO determined the overall oxidation rate. Based on the oxide composition and the oxygen- pressure dependence of the parabolic rate constant, it is concluded that outward transport of Ni via vacancies determines the growth rate of the oxide during the steady-state period, either in the grain boundaries or in the lattice. The influence of Cu dissolved in NiO on the oxidation rate and the oxygen-pressure dependence of the parabolic rate constants is discussed.