Low-temperature oxidation of metal surfaces

Abstract The natural oxide skin of several nm thickness grown on the particle surfaces is a severe impurity problem of metallic powders and thin films. In recent years progress has been made in quantitative determination of the kinetics of this process by novel experimental techniques as well as by model calculations simulating the complex reaction mechanism of low-temperature oxidation. Typical results of advanced models are presented and a synopsis is given of the present understanding of the phenomena.