Abstract
The oxidation of TiSi2 was studied at temperatures of 300°–1300°C. Wafers prepared using the techniques of powder metallurgy had densities of 95 to 98% of the theoretical value. On oxidation at temperatures up to 600°C, the polished wafers formed a protective, titania‐silica glass. The rate data indicate a complex surface and diffusion‐limited mechanism. Above 600° C, the oxide consisted of an amorphous 
film with crystalline islands of 
(rutile). From 1000°–1300°C, parabolic kinetics with an activation energy of 21.3 kcal/mole were observed. These data are consistent with a model in which the rate‐determining step is the diffusion of oxygen through the silica film with the simultaneous diffusion of titanium from the substrate to the islands of rutile growing on top of the amorphous silica. The protective nature of the oxide appears to be due in part to the ability of titanium to assume fourfold coordination and replace silicon in the growing silica film without disrupting the tetrahedral network.