Interpretation of abnormal phenomenon of precipitate nucleation during internal oxidation of AgCu alloys

1 Bhm-Kahlweit nucleation model The dilute binary noble alloys such as Pt- or Ag-based alloys may undergo internal oxidation at desired temperatures under certain conditions, e.g. when the concentration of the solute oxygen in the alloys reaches a critical limit or the oxygen partial pressure of their environment is lower than a critical value, the internal oxides of the less noble element would be formed as precipitates in the alloys. Such a kind of internal oxidation phenomenon has widely been used for many industrial purposes. Therefore, a comprehensive illustration of the mechanisms of internal oxidation processes is surely important for under-