Surface oxides and their effect on the oxidation behavior of amorphous and nanoquasicrystalline Zr-Pd and Zr-Pt alloys

The oxidation behavior of melt-spun Zr75Pd25 and Zr80Pt20 alloys with nanoquasicrystalline phase embedded in amorphous matrix has been studied isothermally as well as nonisothermally in static air. The nature of oxides formed during oxidation has been studied by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and a transition in the structure of the oxides has been shown as one of the primary reasons for the difference in the oxidation behavior of the alloys. © 2006 Materials Research Society.