Nanoaluminium: Is There any Relationship between Particle Size, Non-isothermal Oxidation Data and Ballistics?

This article focuses on data analyses and comparisons for aluminium nanopowders (or nanoaluminium, nAl) reactions under slow (0.5-20.0 K/min, using DTA/DSC/TGA) and fast (>10000 K/min, combustion in solid propellant formulations) non-isothermal oxidation. Particle sizes were defined through the BET method. Active Al content was related with the averaged reactivity parameters, taken from published DTA/DSC/TGA data. The specific oxidation onset temperature for nAl was poorly correlated with the BET particle size under the conditions investigated. Furthermore, the BET particle size exhibited no correlation with the observed ballistic response (burning rate) at 3.0 MPa. A logarithmic correlation y = 17.484 ln(x) – 5813, with R² = 0.73, was found between nAl particle size and its aluminium content. A calibration equation for the oxidation onset temperature as a function of nAl particle size was determined as y = −0.0071x2 + 3.3173x + 479.32, with R² = 0.75. Specific features of the nAl (metallic aluminum content in nAl and the oxidation onset temperature) can be predicted based on the measured powder parameters (such as BET particle size).