A significant improvement in corrosion resistance of the protecting oxide of alloys has been observed when adding small amounts of reactive elements, such as yttrium, this effect has been called reactive element effect (REE). The general mechanism of the REE has not been determined yet. In this work, we study a growing of a yttrium oxide film and its interaction with the phases η and α that constitutes the alloy Zn-22Al-2Cu named Zinalco~(TM). The alloy's surface was coated by a pulsed laser deposition technique. The deposit is controlled and characterized by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The mechanism by which the reactive element produce its effects in this alloy is explained by the preferential interaction among the active sites related to the zinc rich phase and enhancing aluminum movement toward the surface where it is oxidized and the protection film formed.
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