Creation of Modified Aluminum Powders with Increased Reactivity for Energy Systems

Aluminium plays a key role in developing modern energy technologies, from electrical systems to high-energy materials, providing a combination of functionality, economy, and reliability, but the oxide film on its particles reduces the effective reactivity. This work aims to increase the reactivity of aluminum powder by mechanochemical treatment using modifiers. The materials used were aluminum powder of the ASD brand and graphite of the GL-1 brand. The experiment subjected aluminum powder to mechanochemical treatment (MCT) with different graphite contents. It was shown that MCT significantly increases active aluminum content in the powder due to partial destruction of the oxide film on its surface. In addition, morphological analyses confirm the destruction of the oxide, the graphite coating, and the appearance of lamellar structures measuring 0–58 µm. Thermal analysis shows that the primary exothermic peak shifts from 662.6 °C to 653.9 °C for Al + 10% graphite, and the heat released increases by 27%, which means lower activation energy and more complete oxidation. However, at 20% graphite, the thermal gain decreases, since carbon shields the metal areas. Thus, the optimal content is 10% graphite: at this ratio, the best thermochemical behavior of the powder is achieved. The data obtained indicate that the MCT of aluminum powder with graphite effectively increases its reactivity. The resulting aluminum powders with modified particle surfaces facilitate the development of new technologies for the creation of various high-energy solid propellant systems. For rocket engines, preference is given to solid rocket propellant (SRP), which is a mixture of substances (components) capable of burning in the absence of air, producing a large amount of gaseous working fluid heated to a high temperature, providing thrust.