Iron particles coated with alumina : Synthesis by a mechanofusion process and study of the high-temperature oxidation resistance

The mechanofusion process, a dry particle coating route, has been successfully applied to coat iron particles with alumina. The high-temperature oxidation resistance of Fe and coated Fe particles has been comparatively investigated in air in the temperature range 350°–900°C. The activation energy calculations demonstrate that, in the temperature range 350°–420°C, the oxidation mechanisms are the same for both particles. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analyses show that oxidation products are mainly formed at the iron/alumina interface at low temperatures or at the alumina/gas interface at high temperatures. It is shown that, depending on the temperature range, two different oxidation mechanisms are predominant.