Oxidation Kinetics of an Al–6 wt % Li Alloy Modified by Cerium

Resumo

The oxidation kinetics of an Al–6 wt % Li alloy modified by ≤0.5 wt % Ce is studied by thermogravimetry. The oxidation rate of the initial alloy is shown to increase with addition of cerium to the alloy or with temperature. Herewith, the apparent activation energy decreases from 35.2 kJ/mol for the initial alloy to 27.7 kJ/mol for the alloy with 0.5 wt % Ce. The oxidation of the alloys is found to occur according to a hyperbolic mechanism.