ИСТИНА

The formation and 1D growth of characteristic peculiar nanofibril structures on the surface of liquid alloys containing aluminum during chemical oxidation with water vapor has been well studied experimentally for a number of low-melting alloys from mercury to lead. However, the mechanism of nanofibril formation remains unclear to date, and the lack of an appropriate theoretical model does not allow us to assess the dependence of the resulting nanostructure parameters on the conditions of the process. We assume that in the interfacial layer between the liquid metal phase and the atmosphere containing water vapor, a layer of reaction products is formed that has heterogeneity in the content of hydroxyl groups, which leads to the appearance of zones with suppressed and enhanced diffusion of aluminum. Phase-field modeling taking into account their elastic interaction demonstrates the formation of an array of nanoislands differing in the content of hydroxyl groups, which can be precursors for the formation and growth of nanofibrils with elements of the pre-boehmite structure.