The native oxide thin scale on magnesium (Mg) surface appears continuous and crack-free, but cannot protect the Mg matrix from further oxidation, especially at elevated temperatures. This thermal oxidation process is witnessed in its entirety using a home-made in-situ heating device inside an environmental electron transmission microscope. We proposed, and verified with real-time experimental evidence, that transforming the native oxide scale into a thin continuous surface layer with high vacancy formation energy (low vacancy concentration), for example MgCO₃, can effectively protect Mg from high-temperature oxidation and raise the threshold oxidation temperature by at least two hundred degrees.

镁（Mg）表面上的天然氧化物细鳞片看起来连续且无裂纹，但不能保护Mg基质免受进一步氧化，尤其是在高温下。使用环境电子透射显微镜内部的自制原位加热装置可完整地观察到这种热氧化过程。我们提出并通过实时实验证据验证，将天然氧化物垢转变为具有高空位形成能（低空位浓度）的薄连续表面层，例如MgCO ₃，可以有效地保护Mg免受高温氧化和氧化。将阈值氧化温度提高至少200度。