The drastic effect of oxygen on surface segregation

Abstract The temperature and oxygen partial pressure of the environment of a solid may produce non‐oxidizing or oxidizing conditions for any of the components in the surface. Under non‐oxidizing (free surface) conditions, one of the components of a binary alloy segregates. The oxidizing effect may enhance or diminish its surface content, and the other component may even segregate. This effect is investigated here using the experimental results (ISS and AES) and theoretical calculations of a new method. Agreement between theory and experiment is shown for AuPd and CuPd, and as well for S‐contaminated CuFe.