Ageing effects on nano-sized aluminum reactivity

Abstract

Nano-sized Al (nAl) features high reactivity that, while desirable for effective energy conversion during the combustion, yields possible issues related to its storage. This paper investigates the ageing behavior of nAl under different relative humidity conditions (RH, from 80% to 10%) at the temperature of 333 K. Fresh and aged powders are characterized by electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and thermal analysis. The marked sensitivity of nAl (40 nm) to ageing is testified by a nearly full metal content (CAl) loss in just 24 hours (RH = 80%). Under the same condition, conventional 30 m-counterpart looses 13% of the original CAl in 14 days.