Oxidation Behaviors of Aluminum Nanopowders with Different Particle Sizes: A Real-Time Synchrotron X-ray Scattering Study

We have studied the oxidation behaviors of aluminum (Al) nanopowders with different particle sizes using a real-time synchrotron X-ray scattering during annealing in air. The Al nanopowders with small particle size of 78 nm at room temperature (RT) were a single crystal. The surface of the nanopowders was first oxidized to amorphous Al oxide near 450 °C, and then crystallized to γ-Al2O3 phase at 550 °C. The inside of the nanopowders existed as crystal Al phase at 680 °C, high compared to the melting temperature of Al bulk, 660 °C. In contrast, the Al nanopowders with large particle size of 816 nm at RT have multi grains inside a particle. The surface and grain boundary of the powders were first oxidized to amorphous Al oxide near 470 °C, and then crystallized to γ-Al2O3 phase at 550 °C. The inside of the powders existed as amorphous Al phase at 620 °C, melted at 656 °C, and then oxidized gradually above 656 °C.