Preparation and characterization of Co3O4/Al core-shell nanoenergetic materials and their application in energetic semiconductor bridges

Co3O4 nanorods were synthesized onto silicon substrates successfully by an ammonia-evaporation-induced method. Then Al was deposited on the synthesized Co3O4 samples by magnetron sputtering. The prepared Al/Co3O4 nanorods were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. It was found that Co3O4 nanorods grow vertically and compactly on silicon substrates with a diameter of similar to 400 nm. Nano-Al coated the outside of the Co3O4 nanorods to form a kind of core-shell nanostructure. Based on the differential scan thermal analysis, the optimal thickness of Al deposited on the Co3O4 was 5 mu m under experimental condition with a maximal exothermic heat of 2254 J/g. A kind of initiator was realized by integrating Al/Co3O4 with a semiconductor bridge (SCB) and its firing performance was tested. The discharge voltage threshold for the initiator was 45 V and its critical initiation energy varied from 8.30 mJ to 9.10 mJ. The combustion flame duration of the initiator was 180 mu s which was 80 mu s longer than that of ordinary SCB.