Abstract
The scale formed on carbon steel blooms as a result of heating was analysed by means of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The scale consisted of wüstite, magnetite, hematite, and fayalite. The scale that dropped off onto the bottom of a pusher-type furnace was enriched with copper and nickel. The calculated average diffusion distance for liquid copper at the heating temperature of 1250 °C and heating time of 5.2 hours was 4.2 µm suggesting a very fast rate of formation (v₁ = 0.22 nm/s).

Key words
steel bloom, heating, oxidation

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