The specimens of steel containing 0.675%As and 0.12%C were heat-treated at 1100∼1200° for 1/2∼15 hrs in atm. The structures of surface oxides, oxide-base metal interface and base metal itself of each specimen were examined by electron diffraction reflection method.(1) In the case of heat treatment for 1/2∼3 hrs., the surface oxide layers consisted of α-Fe
2O
3, Fe
3O
4 and FeO, and when these oxides were removed, FeO-base metal interface consisted of α-Fe. In the case of quenched specimen after heat treatment for 6 hrs,the diffraction pattern from FeO-base metal interface region was several diffuse rings overlapped by weak arcs of α-Fe. In these cases As enriched in the surface must be present in α-Fe lattice as solid soln. (2) In the case of heat treatment for 10∼15 hrs, the diffraction pattern from FeO-base metal interface region was α-Fe type spots accompanied by several extra rings,which were not observed in base metal itself. For identification of these extra rlngs,the interface region was oxidized at 1100° for 1 min and oxide-base metal interface was examined again. The clear pattern corresponding to Fe
2As crystal was obtained. Thus,it was found that the fine crystals of Fe
2As, resulting from enrichment of As, precipitated in the surface region. (3) From these results, the mechanism of enrichment of As was explained as follows: high temp. oxidation of these specimens is accelerated by higher diffusion rate of Fe ions through the surface oxide layers, while diffusion rate of As ions is very low; consequently, As ions must be resided and enriched in the oxide-base metal interface region as a result of selective oxidation.
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