• Particle and aerosol research
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.177-182
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• 2014

In this study, nickel-coated aluminum (Ni/Al) powders were synthesized for the utilization of energetic applications. Oxide materials present at the surface of Al powders of $45{\mu}m$ in averaged size were removed by using sodium hydroxide(NaOH) solution which is used for controlling pH. Nickel material is coated into the surface of oxide-removed Al powders by electroless-plating process. The microstructure of fabricated Ni/Al powders shows that nickel layers with a few hundreds nm were very homogeneously formed onto the surface of Al powders. The oxidation behavior of Ni/Al exihibit somewhat faster oxidation rate than that of pure Al with surface oxidation. Also, the higher exothermic reaction was observed from the Ni/Al powders. From the result of this, nickel coating is very promising method to obtain highly reactive and safe Al powders for energetic applications.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Propulsion Engineers
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.9-17
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• 2014

In this study, in order to improve the ignitability of high energy aluminum powder, natural oxide films (alumina) were chemically removed, and instead nickel coat was applied. We used an electroless plating for nickel coating and confirmed quantitatively and qualitatively a time-dependent degree of nickel coating through analysis of surface by SEM/EDS. We also conducted element analysis by XRD and thermal properties by TGA/DSC in air oxidizer environment. There results explained the ignition enhancement mechanism of the nickel-coated aluminum powder in air. The difference between coated and un-coated aluminum powder, the effectiveness of coated powder has better ignitability.