Highly-reactive Al/CuO nanoenergetic materials with a tubular structure

Al/CuO nanoenergetic materials with nanotube and nanorod morphologies were prepared and investigated in this study. The CuO nanotubes and nanorods synthesized by chemical etching are homogenous on a large scale, with an external diameter in the range of 100–   200   nm and typical lengths of 5–   7   μm. Each of these CuO nano-arrays was deposited on nano-Al by electrophoretic deposition . Using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method, the Al/CuO nanotube composite is determined to have a larger specific surface area (43.20   m 2 /g) than that of the Al/CuO nanorod composite (16.75   m 2 /g). The energy released from the Al/CuO nanotubes is approximately to 3264   J/g, which is higher than that released from the Al/CuO nanorods (2013   J/g). The combustion flames for the Al/CuO nanotubes are also more rapid and violent. It is speculated that the excellent output of energy and outstanding combustion performance of the Al/CuO nanotubes could be ascribed to their tubular architecture, which has a larger specific surface area enhances the intimate contact and mass transmission between fuel and oxide.