Controllable synthesis of NiCo2O4/Al core-shell nanowires thermite film with excellent heat release and short ignition time

Publication date: 5 October 2018
Source:Materials & Design, Volume 155
Author(s): Yajie Chen, Wenchao Zhang, Chunpei Yu, Debin Ni, Kefeng Ma, Jiahai Ye
NiCo2O4 has been selected as an oxidizer to realize the nanothermite film for the first time in this study. The NiCo2O4/Al core-shell nanowires (NWs) thermite film has been fabricated using a facile hydrothermal-annealing synthesis method and a controllable magnetron sputtering process. The as-obtained NiCo2O4/Al NWs thermite film shows a uniform structure and distribution on the substrate, with a favorable interfacial contact between the bimetallic oxide and the fuel at the nanoscale. It is found that the quantity of Al plays a key role in the total heat release magnitude. The maximal heat release of the NiCo2O4/Al nanothermite film has reached 2076.0 J/g at the optimal Al deposited thickness of 450 nm with the obtained optimum Al/NiCo2O4 molar ratio of 4.9. Moreover, this design strategy is highly compatible with microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) and it can be applied to realize other nanothermites composed by bimetallic oxide and fuel.

Graphical abstract

https://ift.tt/2llN74v