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Aluminium powder

{{short description|Metal dust}}

File:Aluminium_pigment_powder.JPG

Aluminium powder is powdered aluminium.

This was originally produced by mechanical means using a stamp mill to create flakes. Subsequently, a process of spraying molten aluminium to create a powder of droplets was developed by E. J. Hall in the 1920s. The resulting powder might then be processed further in a ball mill to flatten it into flakes for use as a coating or pigment.{{citation |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lskj5k3PSIcC&pg=PA275 |chapter=Powder Metallurgy Processing |page=275 |title=Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys |author=Joseph R. Davies |publisher=ASM International |year=1993 |isbn=9780871704962}} Aluminium powder features low density with high conductivity.{{cite book |last1=Gromov |first1=A.A. |last2=Nalivaiko |first2=A.Yu |year=2019 |title=Nanomaterials in Rocket Propulsion Systems |publisher=Elsevier |chapter=Chapter 5 - Aluminum Powders for Energetics: Properties and Oxidation Behavior |editor-last=Yan |editor-first=Qi-Long |pages=151–173 |isbn=9780128139080}}

Characteristics

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Powdered aluminium shares many of the physical characteristics of bulk aluminium such as its molecular weight of 26.981538 g mol−1,{{Cite web |last=PubChem |title=Aluminum |url=https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5359268 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov |language=en}} melting point of 660 °C,{{Cite book |last=Friedman |first=Raymond |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JyNcYiY11T8C&dq=The+melting+point+of+aluminum+powder+is+660%C2%A0%C2%B0C.&pg=PA155 |title=Principles of Fire Protection Chemistry and Physics |date=1998 |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning |isbn=978-0-87765-440-7 |language=en}} and a boiling point of 2460 °C.[https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/GB/en/sds/saj/01-2570?userType=anonymous Sigma-Aldrich Safety Data Sheet]

Usage

  • autoclave aerated concrete
  • cosmetic colourant
  • fingerprint powder{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n9out--0RRkC&dq=Fingerprint+powder+uses+aluminum+powder&pg=PA137|title=Fingerprints and Other Ridge Skin Impressions|last1=Champod|first1=Christophe|last2=Lennard|first2=Chris J.|last3=Margot|first3=Pierre|last4=Stoilovic|first4=Milutin|date=2004-04-27|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9780203485040|language=en}}
  • metallic paint
  • pyrotechnics (including the M-80 firecracker)
  • refractory
  • rocket and missile fuel such as the solid rocket boosters of the Space Shuttle{{citation |url=https://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/srb/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001002190300/http://www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/reference/basics/srb/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2000-10-02 |title=Space Shuttle Basics –Solid Rocket Boosters |publisher=NASA}}
  • thermite
  • Electrically conductive filler material for EMI shielding applications.{{cite web |url=https://powder.samaterials.com/silver-coated-aluminum-powder-alag.htm |title=Silver-coated Aluminum Powder |website=Stanford Powders |access-date=Aug 29, 2024}}

Depending on the usage, the powder is either coated or uncoated.

Safety

Aluminium is insoluble. Although aluminium is unlikely to be adsorbed into the blood stream, its inhalation can cause severe irritation and hinder the ventilation mechanism.{{Cite web |title=Aluminum {{!}} Toxic Substances {{!}} Toxic Substance Portal {{!}} ATSDR |url=https://wwwn.cdc.gov/TSP/substances/ToxSubstance.aspx?toxid=34 |access-date=2025-01-20 |website=wwwn.cdc.gov}} High levels of exposure over many years may result in aluminosis which causes pulmonary fibrosis.{{citation |title=Aluminium, Dusts containing aluminium as metal, aluminium oxide and aluminium hydroxide |work=MAK Value Documentation |year=2007 |doi=10.1002/3527600418.mb742990vere4313|doi-access=free }}

Aluminium powder and dust is highly flammable and creates a significant risk of fire or explosion. There have been many incidents in industries which produce such dusts and powders.{{citation |last=Urben |first=Peter |page=22 |title=Bretherick's Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards |date=2013-10-22 |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-08-052340-8 |language=en}}

See also

References

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Category:Aluminium

Category:Aluminum objects

Category:Powders

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