The Reactivity of Vanadium and Some Vanadium Alloys with Low-Pressure Oxygen and Nitrogen

Abstract

The reactivity of pure vanadium (<350 ppm total impurity content) and the alloys vanadium–10.5-wt% chromium, vanadium–9.5-wt% molybdenum, and VANSTAR-7 (V–9 wt% Cr–3 wt% Fe–l.3 wt% Zr–0.05-wt%) with oxygen and nitrogen at low partial pressures in the temperature range of 600–800 °C was determined utilizing a hot-wall ultrahigh vacuum microbalance system. The rate of reactivity was determined from continuous weight-gain measurements as a function of both temperature and pressure, for oxygen partial pressures of 10−5 to 10−7 Torr and nitrogen partial pressures of 10−4 to 10−6 Torr. Linear kinetics were observed, indicative of a process controlled by gas transport to the metal surface. The sticking probability for oxygen of 0.185±0.040 was found to be independent of temperature, pressure, and alloying additions. The rate of reaction with nitrogen was a function of alloying additions, with VANSTAR-7 and V-10.5Cr exhibiting the lowest reactivity. The sticking probabilities were compared with those reported in the literature. These results indicate that the sticking probabilities of low-pressure gases on refractory metals are not well defined and seem to be a function of the particular experimental apparatus utilized.