We examined stainless samples that were exposed to LBE in experiments conducted by the Russians, under contract to Los Alamos. We examined both corroded and uncorroded samples using the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), the Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDAX) Spectroscopy, and the X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (XPS). We found that the surface of the corroded sample is covered by oxygen-containing compounds, presumably mostly iron oxide. In samples exposed for shorter times or lower temperatures, we found that some areas were covered by an oxide layer, and some areas was uncovered. We found that the level of Cr in the uncovered area is much higher than the level of Cr in the covered area. Oxygen is present in the spectra of both covered and uncovered areas.
Using EDAX, we examined samples that had been exposed to LBE, and samples that had not been exposed. We found that oxygen was present with a strong signal in samples exposed to LBE, and absent from samples that were not exposed
