Controllable synthesis of Cu/Al energetic nanocomposites with excellent heat release and combustion performance

Al powder faces high expectations for its use as fuel due to its high energy density. However, it is covered with a dense Al 2 O 3 layer, which has a high melting point. Thus, the powder has poor heat release and combustion performance. In this work, Cu/Al energetic nanocomposites are fabricated using a simple replacement reaction between Al and CuF 2 solution. CuF 2 ionizes F − to remove the Al 2 O 3 layer on the Al powder surface and ionizes Cu 2+ to provide a Cu source for deposition. The as-obtained Cu/Al nanocomposites have a typical strawberry-like core/shell structure. Cu/Al nanocomposites with different Cu contents can be obtained by simply adjusting the molar ratio of CuF 2 to Al. The design of these Cu/Al nanocomposites can improve the intensity, speed, and completion of the heat release of Al powder. The quantity of Cu strongly influences the heat release magnitude. The maximum heat release of the Cu/Al energetic nanocomposites with 5% Cu content reaches 24.7 kJ g −1 , which is approximately 1.8 times that of raw Al. The heat release mechanism of the proposed Cu/Al nanocomposite is based on the oxidation reaction phenomenon. The as-obtained Cu/Al nanocomposites are expected to have wide application prospects in solid energetic materials.