Preparation, characterization and thermal properties of nitrographene coated aluminum powder

Abstract Aluminum powder is commonly used as a metal fuel additive in composite solid propellants. However, its tendency to agglomerate during combustion can lead to two‐phase flow losses, negatively impacting its energy performance. To address this issue and enhance the combustion performance of aluminum powder, nitrated graphene oxide (NGO) was developed to improve aluminum dispersion and optimize its energy characteristics. Various analytical techniques were employed to examine its properties, including Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), elemental analysis (EA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). Al/NGO composite was prepared using a solution‐assisted method in N, N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) and characterized by SEM, XPS and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The ignition characteristics and heat of combustion of Al/NGO powder were measured using a laser igniter and an oxygen bomb calorimetry. The appropriate mass ratios of NGO coating had positive effects on the ignition and combustion of Al. Specially, 4 % NGO coating reduced Al ignition energy by 46.5 % and increased the Al combustion efficiency by 22.0 %. Moreover, the catalytic effect of Al/NGO on the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) was investigated using differential thermal analysis (DTA). Results showed that two‐stage pyrolysis paths of AP tended to merge into a single pyrolysis process when Al/NGO 4 % was added. The most favorable catalytic effect on AP′s thermal decomposition process was produced with the addition of 10 % Al/NGO 4 % , reducing the activation energy by Kissinger equation for high‐temperature decomposition to 107.7 kJ mol −1 . These findings may provide valuable insight for enhancing the performance of aluminum powder in energetic materials through NGO modification.