Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2013
Abstract
Aluminum-oxygen reaction is important in highly energetic and high pressure generating systems. Recent experiments with nanostructured thermites suggest that oxidation of aluminum nanoparticles occurs in a few microseconds. Such rapid reaction cannot be explained by a conventional diffusion-based mechanism. We present a rapid oxidation model of a spherical aluminum nanoparticle, using Cabrera-Mott moving boundary mechanism, and taking self-heating into account. In our model, electric potential solves the nonlinear Poisson equation. In contrast with the Coulomb potential, a “double-layer” type solution for the potential and self-heating leads to enhanced oxidation rates. At maximal reaction temperature of 2000 C, our model predicts overall oxidation time scale in microseconds range, in agreement with the experimental evidence.
Recommended Citation
Martirosyan, Karen S., and M. Zyskin. “Reactive Self-Heating Model of Aluminum Spherical Nanoparticles.” Applied Physics Letters, vol. 102, no. 5, American Institute of Physics, Feb. 2013, p. 053112, doi:10.1063/1.4790823.
Publication Title
Applied Physics Letters
DOI
10.1063/1.4790823
Comments
© 2013 American Institute of Physics. Original published version available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4790823