Electron Microscopic Investigation on Nanostructure Behaviors of Thermal Oxidation Copper
A copper alloy consists of 2.6% Fe, 0.15% P and 0.2% Zn with modified grain size of 500 and 750 nm were studied on their rate of diffusion at different oxidation temperature using electron microscopic imaging technique. Different oxidation temperature contributed to the variation of copper oxide particle size, surface porosity level, particle agglomeration and particle nucleation. High oxidation temperature resulted in large oxide particles formation as well as high surface porosity. The magnitude of the copper oxide growth depended on the oxidation temperature. The increase in the oxidation rate at high oxidation temperature was likely a result of faster transport of the reactants through the bulk copper due to a significant contribution from grain-boundary diffusion.