Date of Award
8-1981
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Physics
First Advisor
Dr. Stephen Ferguson
Second Advisor
Dr. Larry Oppliger
Third Advisor
Dr. Robert Shamu
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
This work compares the action of pure water to various aqueous electrolytes on aluminum surface film formation at about 100°C. The electrolytes were pure water with various inhibitor ions added. The ions were nitrate, tungstate, borate, molybdate, silicate, phosphate, a mixture of nitrate and molybdate, and a mixture of silicate and molybdate. The investigative technique was Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) using 2 MeV alpha particles with an annular detector set at 180 degrees for maximum elemental resolution. RBS was chosen for this investigation because it offers in an easily interpretable manner a relatively fast and semi-quantitative method of analysis of surface films a few microns thick. Since RBS was new to the WMU HVEC tandem Van de Graaff accelerator laboratory, the implementation and use of all aspects of this tool are described.
Recommended Citation
Shilts, Reed L., "A Study of the Films Produced by the Aluminum/Water Reaction Using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy" (1981). Masters Theses. 1801.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/1801