XPS STUDIES OF OXIDATION BEHAVIOR OF NICKEL AND THERMAL STABILITY OF SURFACE OXIDES

摘要

Surface oxidation of polycrystalline nickel foil in air and pure water at different temperaturesand the thermal stability of the surface oxides have been investigated by means of XPS.In ad-dition to NiO,Ni₂O₃ is formed especially after long periods of air exposure.Nickel surfacesare much less reactive to pure water than to air.The thermal stability of the surface oxides isrelated to oxidative temperature.The surface species of oxides formed by air exposure attemperatures below 120℃ can be reduced into nickel metal after heating the sample in vacuumat 300℃ for only 10 minutes （in the case of room temperature） to 1 h （in the case of 120℃）.This reduction is caused by reaction with surface carbon contaminants.However,the surfacespecies of nickel oxides formed by air exposure with heating at temperatures above 200℃ cannot be reduced into metal after heating the sample in vacuum at 300℃ for 1h.