title: Characterization of thermochemical properties of Al nanoparticle and NiO nanowire composites.
abstract: Thermochemical properties and microstructures of the composite of Al nanoparticles and NiO nanowires were characterized. The nanowires were synthesized using a hydrothermal method and were mixed with these nanoparticles by sonication. Electron microscopic images of these composites showed dispersed NiO nanowires decorated with Al nanoparticles. Thermal analysis suggests the influence of NiO mass ratio was insignificant with regard to the onset temperature of the observed thermite reaction, although energy release values changed dramatically with varying NiO ratios. Reaction products from the fuel-rich composites were found to include elemental Al and Ni, Al2O3, and AlNi. The production of the AlNi phase, confirmed by an ab initio molecular dynamics simulation, was associated with the formation of some metallic liquid spheres from the thermite reaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave, West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada. john.wen@uwaterloo.ca.
authors.forename: John Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ringuette
authors.forename: Golnaz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bohlouli-Zanjani
authors.forename: Anming
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ngoc Ha
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Persic
authors.forename: Catalin F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Petre
authors.forename: Y Norman
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Zhou