Micron-sized Aluminum Research Articles

Micron-sized aluminum particle combustion under elevated gas condition: Equivalence ratio effect

Micron-sized aluminum (Al) particle combustion under elevated gas condition is critical for improving energetic material performance, impacting propulsion and explosives technology. This study utilizes Eulerian-Lagrangian method to investigate Al particle combustion dynamics, encompassing both heterogeneous reaction (HTR) and homogeneous reaction (HMR). It focuses on the critical role of the equivalence ratio in single Al particle combustion, highlighting the interplay between HTR and HMR, aiming to optimize energy release and emission control. Our study identifies four stages in the combustion of a single Al particle, where the highest heat release is attributed to HTR, succeeded by HMR, and the minimal from unburned Al vapor. We observe a decline in the total heat release rate with an increasing equivalence ratio, primarily due to the differential impacts of heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions. The thermal-runaway stage in HTR is governed by the particle temperature, while the subsequent decaying stage is influenced by either the diminishing effective Al droplet diameter or the availability of oxygen, contingent upon the fuel conditions. Utilizing Cantera software to analyze HMR allows us to elucidate the thermal effects of elementary reactions and the key reaction pathways. These findings underscore the complex interactions between Al particles and the surrounding gas, providing insights into optimizing the conditions for Al-containing reaction systems.

VOF based model of numerical simulation for single aluminum droplet evaporation and combustion

ABSTRACT This study investigates the combustion of a single aluminum droplet in a high-temperature convective setting, focusing on the interplay between the environment and droplet evaporation combustion. Using the VOF numerical method, a two-dimensional multiphase flow combustion model for micron-sized aluminum droplets is developed. Experimental validation compares predicted droplet diameter with experimental data. The combustion behavior of aluminum droplets in high-temperature convective environments is analyzed, emphasizing gas-phase combustion during stable stages. Parametric variations in flow velocity and oxygen concentration reveal the formation of vortices around the droplet, influencing aluminum vapor accumulation and evaporation rates. Combustion primarily occurs at the droplet’s windward side, with reaction rates decreasing downstream. Increasing gas velocity from 1.5 m/s to 3 m/s thins the aluminum vapor concentration boundary layer, boosting combustion rates by 35%. Elevating oxygen concentration from 20% to 50% brings the flame closer to the droplet, accelerating combustion rates by 2.7 times, suggesting oxygen concentration’s role in reaction acceleration and combustion duration reduction. This research offers insights for simulating aluminum droplets in propellant applications.

Experimental investigation on synergistic slow oxidation and rapid combustion of micron-sized iron and aluminum powders for energy storage application

The investigation into the individual application of iron and aluminum as carbon-free fuel sources has been extensively explored and holds significant promise. However, there remains a gap in understanding synergistic effects achievable through the blending of these two fuels, as well as a need for comparative analyses between the slow oxidation and rapid combustion processes of these fuels to complement each other. This research proposes blending micron aluminum and iron powders to analyze their slow oxidation and rapid combustion features under diverse atmospheric conditions and heating rates, using thermogravimetric methods, kinetic calculations, and in-flow experiments. The research blending micron iron and aluminum powders to analyze their slow oxidation and rapid combustion features under diverse atmospheric conditions and heating rates, using thermogravimetric methods, kinetic calculations, and in-flow experiments. The findings reveal that the combination of aluminum and iron powders promotes oxidation, resulting in increased weight gain and heat flux rate compared to individual metals. Moreover, the triggering temperature rises from 545 to 652 °C with an increase in aluminum powder content. As heating rates increase, characteristic parameters T1, T2, and Hpeak2, rise for both fuels. However, aluminum powder tends to decrease Ti, while iron powder slightly increases it due to differences in oxide layers. The slow oxidation of aluminum and iron powders conforms to different models, yielding distinct oxidation patterns. The apparent activation energy of aluminum decreases from 258.4 to 238.7 kJ·mol−1 with rising heating rates, while that of iron exhibits a lower increase and remains lower than aluminum providing insights into combustion initiation conditions. Combustion initiation is contingent upon the concentration of metal powder and oxygen, with both aluminum and iron powders combustion being enhanced and subsequently attenuated with increasing excess air ratio. However, due to differing reactivity and surface passivation layers, the excess air ratio required for aluminum powder combustion (1.2–2.4) exceeds that of iron powder (1.3–1.7). The research elucidates the mechanisms underlying the slow oxidation of iron and aluminum fuels, delineates suitable combustion conditions, and furnishes new empirical and theoretical underpinnings for the oxidation characteristics of mixed iron-aluminum fuels, thereby advancing metal-fueled energy storage technologies.

Study on laser ignition and combustion characteristics of micron-sized aluminum and Al-Mg alloys particles

In response to the problems of easy sintering and long ignition delay time of micron aluminum in the combustion of aluminum-containing propellants, choose the way to add magnesium to metal aluminum to construct an alloy system, through boiling, micro-explosions are generated during the ignition and combustion process to weaken the sintering behavior and shorten the ignition delay time of aluminum. Selecting aluminum and Al-Mg alloy powder fuel with a particle diameter of about 10 μm as the research object, a set of individual-particle fuel laser ignition and microscopic high-speed imaging experimental devices was built that can observe the whole process of ignition and combustion of micron-sized fuel. Thermal analysis was used to detect and characterize the thermal decomposition process of micron-sized aluminum and Al-Mg alloy powders; combined with the results of scanning electron microscopy, the difference in ignition performance of micron-sized individual particle aluminum and Al-Mg alloys was studied. Experiments have found that, compared with aluminum, the initial oxidation temperature of Al-Mg alloys is lower and the combustion is more complete. However, the effect of adding magnesium to aluminum is only reflected before 900 °C. The ignition and combustion images and flame propagation laws of micron-sized single-particle aluminum and Al-Mg alloys were obtained. It was found that adding magnesium shortened the ignition delay time, and the combustion produced less residual.

Exploring the combustion mechanism of single micron-sized aluminum particles with a numerical model

In this work, we explore the combustion mechanism of single micron-sized aluminum particles using a numerical model. The Burcat database and Catoire mechanism is considered as the thermodynamic data and the kinetic mechanism for our numerical model of aluminum combustion. Two independent experiments, including particle temperature profiles, ignition delay and burning time, are selected to evaluate the performance of the numerical model. The model shows great agreement for all considered properties. A parametric study is further conducted to identify the effect of involved physical parameters on the combustion process. The diffusion coefficient (D) of oxidizers and the activation energy of surface kinetics (Esurf) and evaporation coefficient (α) of aluminum impact the particle temperature the most. Burning time is most sensitive to the activation energy of surface kinetics (Esurf). The optical measurement in a solid propellant combustion indicates that the contact angle of the oxide cap on Al particle is between 10° and 20°. It is found that the selection of contact angle of the oxide cap significantly impacts the prediction of combustion time and residual of active aluminum. The current work highlights the importance of physical properties on the prediction of Al combustion, suggesting that more detailed evaluation from experiments and theory is encouraged.

Ignition and combustion characteristics of aluminum-based fluorine-containing composite powder

To improve the combustion characteristics of micron-sized aluminum (Al) powder, a composite powder was prepared by doping a small amount (15 wt%) of magnesium fluoride (MgF2), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and fluorinated graphite (FG) into the aluminum powder through solution dispersion method. The physical phase composition, micro morphology, thermal reactivity, and combustion performance of the composite powders were also characterized. The findings suggest that the promoting effect of the three fluorides on aluminum combustion can be ranked in the following descending order: FG > PTFE > MgF2. The fluorides can to erode the Al2O3 shell layer directly, thus creating cracks and reaction pathways for the Al core enclosed within the shell. Moreover, the gasification of AlF3 within the combustion products can escape from the surface of Al particles and promote the oxidation combustion of the exposed aluminum, which enhances the diffusion reaction on the active aluminum surface.

Modeling of micron-sized aluminum particle combustion in hot gas flow

This paper presents a model for micron-sized aluminum (Al) particle combustion in hot oxidizing environments, forming hollow spheres. The model comprises four sub-models describing the physical and chemical processes during Al combustion: melting of the solid core, ejection of liquid Al droplets from the breaking solid shell, vaporization of liquid droplets, and ignition and establishment of vapor flame surrounding the solid particles. The model is of critical importance when the ambient gas temperature is higher than the melting point of the Al core, Tc,m, but lower than the alumina (Al2O3) shell’s melting point, Ts,m. In the model, the Al core is assumed to be surrounded by a thin, compact alumina shell that blocks the diffusion of oxidizer into the core and prevents surface reactions. The alumina shell’s cracking and liquid Al’s eruption are triggered by thermal expansion and pressure buildup in the liquid core. The splashed liquid Al droplets vaporize quickly and initiate gas-phase reactions, followed by the vaporization of the liquid Al core as the particle temperature Tp increases. Al vapor combustion heat is redistributed to simulate the gaseous flame near the particle. The model is implemented using the Lagrangian particle tracking method and is validated through simulations of micron-sized Al particle combustion in hot gas and comparison with experiments. The results can explain the formation of the sharp-edged holes on hollow aluminum oxide spheres and the ignition behavior observed in the experiments.

Predictive model for the ignition and combustion behaviors of micron-sized aluminum particles in a water vapor environment

Predictive model for the ignition and combustion behaviors of micron-sized aluminum particles in a water vapor environment

Thermal enhancement of the oxidation layer of micron-sized aluminum powder and its anti-oxidation performance

Micron-sized aluminum powder, with its typical core-shell structure, exhibits oxidation behavior upon slow heating in an oxidative atmosphere that is related to the particle size of the aluminum powder. A particle size-dependent thermal response mechanism for micron-sized aluminum powder is established: a "shell-breaking eruption" thermal response mechanism. The oxide layer is thermally enhanced, and the anti-oxidation reaction behavior mechanism of the enhanced samples is studied. Aluminum powder samples, heated slowly to specific temperatures to obtain changes in the oxide layer structure, are analyzed using a thermal analyzer to compare the slow heating response behavior of aluminum powder before and after the oxidation layer changes. It was found that after thermal enhancement of the aluminum powder oxidation layer, which changed from amorphous to γ-phase and whose thickness increased to twice the original thickness, the slow oxidation process of micron-sized aluminum powder was inhibited, and the aluminum powder was completely deactivated in the slow heating response.

Study on the oxidation mechanism of micron- and nano-sized aluminum powders influenced by alumina shell

Thermal behaviors for aluminum particles at oxidative atmosphere gradually heating system were discussed. Heating micron- and nano-sized aluminum powders from room temperature to 1400℃ using thermal analysis method. The results showed that the reaction process for micron-sized aluminum particles can be divided into four stages which include the phase change of oxidized shell, increasing thickness of alumina shell, main broken shell oxidizing process and the phase change of alumina shell in high temperature. Thermal analysis for micro aluminum particles was carried out with shell thickness adjustments via ambient manual means. It turned out that the oxide layer thickness would have full limitation effects on the slow oxidation for micro aluminum particles with shell structure when it was increased above twice of the original thickness. The limitation effects of oxide shell thickness on the heating processes in gradually heating system were proposed. Humidity environment can make the thickness of alumina increase in a certain range when the particles are in nano-scale. Complete oxidation processes were observed but an increase of the oxidation temperature was identified.

Reaction mechanism of micron-sized aluminum powders in O2 and CO2 gradually heated environment

The behavior of aluminum powders in specific oxidized environment is different from each other obviously. Thermal behaviors of micron-sized aluminum powders in different oxygenated and gradually heating environments were discussed in order to find out the oxidation mechanism. Particular attention is paid to the reaction mechanism of oxygen and carbon dioxide atmosphere. Thermogravimetric analysis and related characterization methods are used and the results demonstrated that under the certain condition, reaction process of micron-sized aluminum powders can be divided into four stages. General routes for the oxidation of micron-sized aluminum in general heating system are the same, however, itis different among the extent of reaction at the third stage in different kinds of oxidizing gas atmospheres. Gas phased products were detected during the main reaction stage under carbon dioxide by combining thermal analysis and mass spectrometry which contributes to the rupture of alumina shell and further reaction of micron-sized aluminum powders. Consequently, rapider and more complete reaction process was achieved. The increasing thickness of original alumina shell can restrict the reaction rate of aluminum powders harder at the same time.

Studies on activity and oxide shell thickness of micron-sized Mg-Al alloy powder

The empirical formula of average oxide thickness of atomized micron-sized aluminum - magnesium alloy powder was proposed. At the same time, the influence of particle size and the ratio of magnesium on samples’ activity was studied. The phase composition, morphology, and oxidation process of the alloy powders were studied by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope/energy-dispersive x-ray, respectively. Study on the change of powder activity was achieved by standard gas volumn method. The results show that the oxide thickness of the atomized micron-sized aluminum - magnesium alloy powder is positively correlated with the particle size, and the activity decreases with the increase of the particle size and the magnesium content.

COMBUSTION OF ALUMINUM PARTICLES IN A STREAM OF STEAM

Several models for aluminum combustion have been proposed, thus an overview of the combustion characteristics of aluminum powders is presented, taking into account both early and recent research activities and distinguishing between micron-sized and nano-sized aluminum. A collection of models for the two classes is discussed and compared, considering different environments in terms of oxidizers (H<sub>2</sub>O, O<sub>2</sub>, CO<sub>2</sub>), diluents (N<sub>2</sub>, Ar), temperature and pressure. In particular, the oxidation and the combustion of aluminum in steam are addressed, highlighting the oxidizing capabilities of various species. Different models are implemented for the complete description of aluminum combustion in the micron range, since smaller particles (1-10 μm) burn differently from bigger ones: both kinetics-based and diffusion-based processes are analyzed, stressing the role of reaction paths as well as diffusive phenomena. A single mechanism (kinetics-based) is identified and modeled for the combustion of nano-sized aluminum, outlining the limits and hypotheses for the application. For both sizes, only homogeneous reactions are considered and a model for the growth of an oxide cap on the surface of the particle is implemented. The results obtained are compared to the available numerical simulations and experimental evidence, aiming at the approximation of the burning time through the D<sup>n</sup> law. Also, the profile over time of the temperature, the radius of the particle and the concentrations of the different chemical species involved in the reactions are analyzed.

Detailed numerical simulation and experiments of a steadily burning micron-sized aluminum droplet in hot steam-dominated flows

Detailed numerical simulations are conducted in comparison with experimental results to study the flame structure and burning rate of a steadily burning aluminum droplet in hot steam-dominated environments. The droplet surface temperature, flame temperature, and flame stabilization position are measured along with the droplet burning rate estimated from the droplet size evolution. A numerical model accounting for detailed transport properties and chemical kinetics is presented and applied to unveil the flame structure, species and temperature distributions, and heat/mass transfer between the droplet and the surrounding gas. The numerical results of the temperature, velocity, and species distribution profiles demonstrate that the aluminum vapor flame is of classical diffusion flame structure, where near the droplet, there is a non-negligible amount of AlOAl apart from the main product Al2O3(l). This supports the deposition and formation of an alumina cap on the surface proposed in the literature. The simulation correctly captured the flame temperature and flame stabilization distance for a range of droplet sizes. Net heat flux analysis shows that conduction heat from the flame front accounts for less than 30% of the heat needed in aluminum evaporation, which warrants further quantification on other heat sources. The experimental and numerical results enrich the knowledge of the heat/mass transfer and chemical reactions near the droplet, which helps deepen the understanding of aluminum droplet burning.

Fabrication of alumina ceramic membrane supports using LCD 3D printing and titania nanoparticle doping

The integration of 3D printing technology into the production of ceramic membranes has garnered significant interest. Nonetheless, challenges persist in fabricating macroporous supports with both high porosity and strength through 3D printing. In this study, titania nanoparticles were introduced to facilitate the fusion of alumina nanoparticles. This freed the pores occupied by alumina nanoparticles and enhanced the connections between micron-sized alumina particles. Consequently, both the permeability and strength of the ceramic membrane supports were improved. The impact of ceramic slurry composition on photocuring performance, sintering processes, and the addition of titania nanoparticles on the microstructure and properties of the porous ceramic membrane support were investigated. The optimized membrane support featured a pore size of approximately 1.36 µm, achieving a porosity of 42.4% and a pure water permeance of 3700 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1. These findings provide a fundamental groundwork for subsequent endeavors in the development of high-performance ceramic membranes.

Comparison on the ignition and combustion characteristics of single Al-Li alloy and Al fuel microparticles in air

To address the resistance effect of protective oxide shell on the ignition of micron-sized aluminium (Al) and the particle agglomeration and residue deposition of Al-based fuels, aluminium-lithium (Al–Li) alloy by introducing tiny elemental Li could have a promising potential in substituting for Al. The paper presents a comparative study on the surface structure and the ignition and combustion characteristics between single Al-Li alloy and pure Al fuel microparticles in air. The Al-Li alloy with the content of 1.0 wt.% Li was prepared by gas-atomized method and characterized by multiple methods. The characterization of the surface morphology, elemental distribution, and residues of incomplete combustion show the dendritic structure of eutectic compounds like veins at the surface and interior of the Al-Li alloy microparticles. Compared to the dense oxide shell of Al, the oxide shell of Al-Li alloy provides many more pathways like cracks/openings for the Al and O2 contact as inductively heated by a highly-focused laser beam, resulting in a reduction of ignition delay. The difference of ignition delay between the two demonstrated that the addition of Li element shortened the ignition delay, especially, over 80% for the particle size of > 45 µm. The ignition delay can be reduced by minimizing the particle size or enhancing the ignition power density. Owing to the variations in reactivity, melting, and boiling points compared to pure Al, the Al-Li alloy particles exhibit distinct gas-phase flame and micro-explosion behaviour. These differences result in considerably higher flame temperatures and more intense radiation. Finally, a sequence of reaction mechanisms that potentially control the ignition and combustion of single Al-Li alloy particles (as distinct from pure Al) is proposed, the physical and chemical properties of highly reactive Li are crucial to improve the combustion performance of Al.

Effect of the alumina micro-particle sizes on the thermal conductivity and dynamic mechanical property of epoxy resin.

Epoxy thermal conductive adhesives with high thermal conductivity and dynamic mechanical properties are important thermally conductive materials for fabricating highly integrated electronic devices. In this paper, micro-Al2O3 is used as a thermally conductive filler for the epoxy resin composite and investigated the effect of micron-sized alumina particle size on the thermal conductivity and dynamic mechanical property of epoxy resin by the transient planar hot plate method and DMA (Dynamic mechanical analysis). The experimental results show that with the same amount of alumina filling, the thermal conductivity and Tg (glass transition temperature) of epoxy/Al2O3 composite material decrease with the increase of alumina particle size. The maximum thermal conductivity of the composite material is 0.679 (W/mK), while the energy storage modulus of epoxy/Al2O3 composite material increases with the increase of alumina particle size, and the maximum energy storage modulus of the composite material is 160MPa. Compared with pure epoxy resin, the thermal conductivity and energy storage modulus have increased by 2.7 and 3.2 times, respectively. The epoxy/Al2O3 composite was applied to the COB (Chips On Board) type LED package, and the substrate temperature of the LED dropped to the lowest after 1.5 hours of operation using EP-A5 composite, and the temperature was stabilized at 38.2°C, indicating that the addition of 5-micron alumina composite has the best heat dissipation in the COB type LED package. These results are critical for the implementation of particulate-filled polymer composites in practical applications because relaxed material specifications and handling procedures can be incorporated in production environments to improve efficiency.

Numerical study on flame propagation of nano- and micron-sized aluminum dust combustion in air

A code was developed for numerical simulations of both nano- and micron-sized aluminum dust combustion in air. This code incorporates a combustion model that provides a comprehensive framework for modeling the burning of an aluminum particle under a transition regime, enabling accurate modeling of aluminum dust combustion across a wide range of particle sizes. The pseudo-transient approach was employed to solve the steady multiphase governing equations of aluminum dust combustion. The predicted variation trend of burning velocity with varying dust concentration exhibits good agreement with experimental measurements for both nano- and micron-sized aluminum dust combustion. Analyses exploring the effects of dust concentration, oxygen volume fraction and thermophoretic force on aluminum dust combustion were conducted. Simulation results indicate that introducing thermophoretic force in micron-sized aluminum dust combustion further enhances burning velocities and increases flame thicknesses compared to nano-sized aluminum dust combustion, primarily attributed to reduced gas entrainment of micron-sized aluminum particles.

Incorporating fluoropolymer-coated micron-sized aluminum with enhanced reactivity into aluminized explosives to improve their detonation performance

Micro-sized aluminum (m-Al) has been widely applied in explosives as fuel additives. Unfortunately, m-Al displays long ignition delay and insufficient combustion, making it fail to fully release its energy in aluminized explosives. In this work, fluoropolymer-coated m-Al composites were prepared using the solvent evaporation method. Then, the surface state of the m-Al composites was determined based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, and their thermal behavior was investigated through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at a temperature range of 30–1200 ​°C. Moreover, the reactivity and combustion kinetics of aluminum were explored using laser ignition experiments. To evaluate the metal acceleration ability and detonation performance of CL-20-based explosives containing fluoropolymer-coated m-Al composites, the disc acceleration experiment (DAX) was specially designed taking into account the influence of aluminum particle size. The results of this study show that fluoropolymers were uniformly distributed on the surface of m-Al, and most of the as-prepared particles were microspheres without apparent agglomeration. The presence of fluoropolymers is beneficial to the oxidation of aluminum particles. The explosive sample containing fluoropolymer-coated aluminum composites exhibited shortened ignition delay and an increase in the burning speed from 3.3 ​mm·s−1 to 7.9 ​mm·s−1 compared to the sample with uncoated Al. Most especially, its specific kinetic energy increased from 8.45 ​kJ·g−1 to 9.29 ​kJ·g−1, its detonation velocity increased from 7.75 ​km·s−1 to 7.82 ​km·s−1, and its detonation pressure increased from 25.57 ​GPa to 30.89 ​GPa.

Combustion of suspensions of mixed aluminum and silicon carbide in the products of hydrocarbon flames

A stabilized methane/air Bunsen flame is seeded with powder fuel mixtures containing various combinations of spherical, micron-sized aluminum (Valimet H-2 with nominal d50 = 3.5 µm and H-15 with nominal d50 = 20 µm) and silicon carbide (SiC) at different mass ratios over a ∼0-400 g/m3 concentration range. It is observed that in dispersions of only H-2 aluminum, a bright white aluminum flame front forms and couples to the methane-air flame, resulting in a sustained flame speed even at concentrations beyond 400 g/m3. In contrast, dispersions of only H-15 powder decrease flame speed rapidly and cause an open-tipped methane-air flame at concentrations beyond 200 g/m3, similar to inert SiC powder. When blended together into H-2:H-15 1:1 (mass ratio) mixture dispersions, an aluminum flame front forms and couples to the methane-air flame, with a flame speed comparable to unitary H-2 aluminum in contrast to mixtures of H-2:SiC 3:1 which produce no noticeable difference in flame speed from purely inert mixtures of SiC at nearly 200 g/m3. Mixtures of H-2:SiC 3:1 demonstrate an aluminum flame coupling to the methane flame, but with an increased separation between the fronts that was not observed in previous hybrid flames studies. The flame temperatures, flame coupling, and aluminum combustion efficiency behaviors are attributed to the effective amount of slowly reacting or inert solid material in the mixed powder fuels. The behaviors are consistent with a simple hybrid flames model, developed in previous work, where the effectively reduced heat of reaction of the powder fuel is unable to support sufficient heat feedback to the methane-air flame permitting effective secondary flame front formation and flame-coupling. From this understanding, a method for determining the relative energy contribution of a lower reactivity component in a fuel mixture when it is thermally driven by a higher reactivity fuel is demonstrated using the secondary front formation and flame coupling as a benchmark for reaching a certain heat of reaction of the fuel solid mixture. It is estimated that the H-15 component of a H-2:H-15 1:2 mixture contributes to approximately 55% of the thermal energy required to achieve the same behavior as a H-2:SiC 3:1 fuel mixture.