Developing a copper-zinc-aluminum alloying technique by vacuum thermal deposition after irradiation by gamma rays (NaI (Ti)) with stabilized zinc metal

Abstract

The difficult Zn dendrite for Zn anodes remains a significant barrier. One of the most promising options is to create an artificial copper-zinc-aluminum (Cu–Zn–Al) alloy layer. However, creating a perfect Cu–Zn–Al alloy layer with an acceptable shape and adjustable thickness remains difficult. In this paper, a novel vacuum thermal deposition method (VTDM) is used to create a cubic, close-packed Cu–Zn–Al alloy layer with adjustable shape and thickness. Meanwhile, to demonstrate the alloying process, an “irradiation” mode is offered. Alloy base shapes of Cu–Al–Zn have been widely used in environmental applications due to their low cost, safety, and effectiveness. This research successfully produced the alloy base shape of Cu–Al–Zn by the vacuum thermal evaporation method with and without applied irradiation by gamma rays (NaI (Ti)). Cu–Al–Zn was produced to prevent detrimental effects on human health. The Cu–Al–Zn was characterized by XRD, SEM, mapping, and EDX analysis. The small crystalline size (11.8–40 nm) and (cubic) structure of the alloy base shape of Cu–Al–Zn before irradiation were explained by measurements of XRD, whereas the small crystalline alloy base shape of Cu–Al–Zn after irradiation was 11–23 nm. FESEM revealed that the particle size of the alloy base shape of Cu–Al–Zn before irradiation by the gamma rays (NaI (Ti)) was 41.34–195.91 nm and had a cubic structure, whereas the alloy base shape of Cu–Al–Zn after irradiation by the gamma rays (NaI (Ti)) was tiny and crystalline at 31.63–130.3 nm and had a ball-like structure.