The Influence of Discharge Mode on Morphology of Al–Ni Nanoparticles Prepared by Underwater Electrical Wire Explosion

We report the results of experiments investigating the influence of discharge mode on morphology of Al–Ni bimetallic nanoparticles prepared by underwater electrical explosion (UEE) of intertwined Al/Ni wire. The experiments were conducted using a pulsed power generator with the stored energy of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]J (underheat mode) and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]J (overheat mode), delivering to the intertwined Al/Ni wire a [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kA current rising during [Formula: see text]s. By analyzing electrical signals, we conclude that there exists a competitive process between Al wire and Ni wire, and the latter always lags behind the former in various stages, duo to the difference of electrical resistivity. Using transmission electron microscope (TEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), the morphology and element composition of nanopowders obtained at underheat mode and overheat mode were studied. The results reveal that core-shell structured Al–Ni nanoparticles can be easily obtained at underheat mode, due to the mismatched specific surface energy and matching lattice type between aluminum and nickel. Besides, the Al–Ni powder prepared by underwater electrical wire explosion (UEWE) has a smaller particle size (less than 100[Formula: see text]nm) and more consistent particle size distribution compared with traditional preparation methods. These results show that UEWE is very attractive for the preparation of Al–Ni nanopowders, which is helpful in improving the specific surface area of Raney–Ni catalyst.