Visualization of aluminium intial stage oxidation

Aluminium is among the metals with the greatest affinity for oxygen. Aluminium oxidation is a process that occurs easily and rapidly. At room temperature Al is always covered with an oxide film (2-3 nm in thickness). The study of initial oxidation is very important as it concerns the first step of a metal's oxidation and corrosion behaviour. The characteristics of the kinetics of early-stage oxidation are believed to have an important influence on the later steady-state growth. Furthermore, there are many aspects of Al melt handling and cast process that results in oxidation of Al and dross formation. Dross is an inhomogeneous complex mixture of aluminium oxides along with entrapped molten metal. Dross formation in melt handing process leads to a huge profit loss.