Abstract: | Abstractα-iron samples, with a 4 to 6 nm oxide layer on top of the surface due to preparation, were oxidised in situ within a scanning electron microscopy equipped with electron back-scatter diffraction. At 773 and 973 K, two different growth mechanisms during the initial stage of iron oxide formation could be observed, layer-by-layer growth at 773K and island growth at 973 K. The growth mechanism at 973K is correlated to the formation of a thin layer of Fe1–XO (wüstite) prior to Fe3O4 (magnetite) crystallisation whereas at 773K only magnetite was found as newly grown oxide. Magnetite showed a strong epitaxial relationship to α-iron with its {111} plane growing preferentially on the {110} plane of iron. |