REDUCTION OF METAL-OXIDE LAYER WITH HYDROGEN-ATOMS DISSOCIATED ON A HOT RHENIUM FILAMENT

The process of chemical reaction between hydrogen atoms and the oxide layer on the surface of stainless steel is studied. The experiment is carried out for the following condition: flux density of hydrogen atoms of 1014cm-2sec-1 and temperature of the sample of about 520 K. Apparent reaction probability is measured as a function of hydrogen atom dose. The probability of the reaction is 2 × 10-1 on the thick oxide layer and 3 × 10-3 after the exposure of 2 × 1018 cm-2 of H-dose. In each case, the tendency is investigated that the production rate of water molecules is affected by the flux density of H-atoms and by the temperature of the sample metal. © 1979.