Mechanism and Kinetics of Aluminum Nitride Powder Degradation in Moist Air

Abstract

Aluminum nitride (AlN) powders manufactured via three major commercial processes, namely, chemical vapor deposition from triethyl aluminum, carbothermal reduction and nitridation of alumina, and direct nitridation of aluminum, were exposed to moist air at room temperature to investigate the degradation mechanism and kinetics. In the degradation, the powders were initially hydrolyzed to amorphous aluminum oxyhydroxide, which subsequently transformed into mixtures of crystallized aluminum trihydroxide (Al(OH)3) polymorphs, i.e., bayerite, nordstrandite, and gibbsite, forming agglomerates around the unreacted AlN. The data were fitted by using the unreacted‐core model. Three stages were found in the degradation: the stage of an induction period at the beginning, followed by a stage of fast hydrolysis with the chemical reaction being rate controlling, and finally, with gradual closing of pores in the structure of Al(OH)3 around AlN, changing to a stage of slow hydrolysis that was controlled by mass diffusion through Al(OH)3. The existence of an induction period was attributed to slow hydrolysis of the surface oxide/oxyhydroxide layer. The powder produced by the carbothermal process showed the longest induction period, which was attributed to its surface structure being different from other powders.