Protective role of silicon in the high-temperature oxidation of titanium
We investigated the oxidation of pure titanium and Ti-0.8 at.% Si at 800 ° C in Ar-O 2 and O 2 to clarify how dilute silicon additions enhance the oxidation resistance of titanium. The effect of silicon stemmed from differences in oxide growth rather than oxygen dissolution in the metal. Initially, silicon reduced outward oxide growth and completely eliminated inward growth, which we attributed to the continuous Ti 5 Si 3 layer formed at the oxide-metal interface. Furthermore, after breakdown of the Ti 5 Si 3 layer, the oxide — containing silicon — became lamellar but remained more compact and possibly slower growing than the oxide on pure titanium.