is devoted to the formation of a natural oxide film. This few nm thick surface layer is produced instantaneously if oxygen or water vapor is present in the gas atmosphere. It is responsible for the corrosion behavior, for wear and friction of metallic materials, as well as for hydrogen embrittlement or poisoning of catalytic surface reactions. Oxidation impedes experiments in surface sciences and production processes in modern thin-film technology. It can reliably be avoided only if expensive ultra-high vacuum techniques are applied. This monograph presents an introduction to the subject in a tutorial style. It demonstrates how complex metal-gas interactions can be analyzed by standard procedures of chemical kinetics.weiterlesen