The behavior of Ti in Fe-0.29, 0.64 and 1.48 wt%Ti alloys has been investigated using a time-of-flight atom-probe. Ti segregates to the surface when Fe-Ti samples are heated at and above 600°C in vacuum. Enrichment of Ti (includes titanium oxide formation) at the outermost surface layer is 90% at the (110) and (111) planes, 50% at the (211) plane and 70% at the (100) plane. At the (100) plane Ti enrichment extends to the first 4-5 layers while it is limited to only two layers at the other planes.
Attempts were made to study chemisorption induced surface segregation using H
2, D
2 and CO. However no significant effects have been observed so far.
When heated in O
2 gas, two distinctly different types of oxidation were observed depending upon O
2 partial pressure. At the lower O
2 pressure (10
-9 Torr), Ti oxide scale was formed on the surface, which markedly slows further oxidation of the alloy substrate, while at the higher O
2 pressure (10
-5 Torr) subsurface oxidation occurred, forming Fe oxides and Ti-rich clusters within the alloy matrix.
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