Kinetics of the Oxidation of Antimony

Abstract

The oxidation of antimony has been studied between 265° and 385°C. The reaction is characterized by an initially parabolic growth rate, which degenerates into a time‐independent rate, controlled by the gaseous diffusion of from the surface region to the cold wall outside the sample furnace. The stationary rate decreases with increasing oxygen pressure and with increasing diffusion length. A compact layer of forms on the antimony surface and supports a further overgrowth of . Kinetic data have been analyzed to obtain thermochemical parameters for the reaction which yields and agreement is obtained with known data for the equilibrium .