Aluminum particles with nano-size defects in their alumina shells and their thermal oxidation properties

Micron-size aluminum particles with the nano-size defects in the alumina shells, called as treated Al, were prepared through a facile method. Powder particle morphologies and compositions were characterized, and results showed that the treated Al maintained its original spherical shapes and aluminum content, and there existed the nano-size etched pits and pores in its Al2O3 shell. The thermal oxidation properties of the treated Al and the as-received Al particles in air were tested by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). It was observed that the thermal oxidation activity of the treated Al was much higher than that of the as-received Al and the treated Al was nearly completely oxidized in the air. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, micron-size aluminum particles with nano-size defects in alumina shells, known as treated Al, were prepared using a simple method. The thermal oxidation activity of treated Al was found to be significantly higher than that of as-received Al, with the former being almost completely oxidized in air.