A phenomenological investigation on the control of oxides at the interface using an electrochemical cell

An electrochemical reaction cell using a solid electrolyte was developed to study the thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of interfacial oxides. Al ₂O₃ and TiO₂ existing between the Fe alloy melt and the magnesia stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte could be controlled using an electrochemical method of an external direct current at 1 823 K. This novel approach could control the electron density near the interface of the oxidesand subsequently the interfacial oxygen. In this study, a direct current of 0.1 ampere resulted in the decomposition of the interfacial oxides and an interfacial oxygen concentration below 3 ppm. Furthermore, morphological observations using EPMA confirmed the interfacial oxide control corresponding to the external electrical potential.