The high temperature oxidation of aluminium-implanted iron

Aluminium was implanted into iron at different doses between 1 × 10¹⁴ and 1.5 × 10¹⁷ atm cm^?2. Oxidation tests were carried out in oxygen during 100–120 h in the temperature range 720–1020 K. Doses of 5 × 10¹⁶ atm cm^?2 had to be achieved to observe a notable inhibition of the oxidation process. In these conditions, the formation of two ternary oxides was detected but the spinel phase Fe Al₂O₄ seemed to be responsible for the observed blocking effect.