Elucidation of mechanisms involved during silica reduction on silicon powders

Silicon powders, initially covered with a native oxide, SiO(2(s)), have been studied during high-temperature processing under an He-H(2) atmosphere. Thermogravimetric experiments allowed identification of the mechanisms involved in the reduction of the oxide layer. The experimental results were compared to previous thermochemical analyses and experiments from the literature. (C) 2011 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.