| Abstract: | The experimental evidence for stress generation in growing oxide scales is briefly summarised, and the origin of these stresses is discussed. The limited experimental data related to oxide adhesion is discussed, and it is concluded that the adhesion between metal and oxide probably involves chemical interaction, and that the effects of impurities collecting at the interface are not easy to predict. It is emphasised however that the problem of adhesion at the metall oxide interface is complicated by the dynamic nature of the situation, so that it is necessary to postulate a growth mechanism which will allow contact between the oxide and the metal to be maintained. Finally, the problem of plastic flow in the oxide is considered, and it is suggested that some of the evidence which has been adduced to support the idea of large plastic flow is less than entirely convincing. Some of the phenomena may possibly be interpreted in terms of “stress-directed growth”. |
