Earlier studies on this reaction, using thin aluminum films on silica substrates, have been extended to temperatures below the melting point of aluminum, and the effect of crystallinity in the silica has also been investigated. Electron and x‐ray diffraction were used for detection and identification of reaction products. Between 400° and 850°C the reaction obeys the Arrhenius equation, but suffers an abrupt change of activation energy at the melting point of aluminum. With quartz, the activation energy is greater and the reaction rate is less than with vitreous silica. The main products of reaction are and Si below the melting point of aluminum, but above the melting point a volatile oxide of aluminum is formed (probably ) when thin films are used. The reaction seems to be influenced very little, if at all, by the physical form of the film, or by the presence of water or air.
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Prabriputaloong et al. (1974) studied this question.