Validation of Cabrera-Mott model for low-temperature oxidation of aluminum nanoparticles

• Published in: Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology Vol. 23; no. 3
• Main Authors: Laboureur, Delphine, Glabeke, Gertjan, Gouriet, Jean-Baptiste
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.03.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum oxide; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Evolution; Inductively coupled plasma; Inorganic Chemistry; Lasers; Low temperature; Materials Science; Mathematical models; Nanoparticles; Nanotechnology; Optical Devices; Optics; Oxidation; Oxygen; Parameters; Passivity; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Research Paper; Nanoparticles; Modeling and simulations; Cabrera-Mott; Passivation
• ISSN: 1388-0764; 1572-896X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-021-05170-z

Validation of the Cabrera-Mott low-temperature oxidation model is proposed to better establish a procedure for the passivation of aluminum nanoparticles after production. The powder, generated in an inductively coupled plasma reactor and characterized by a specific surface of around 40 m 2 /g, is sampled prior to passivation. Controlled oxidation of the powder is then performed in a TGA/DSC apparatus using different oxygen concentrations. The mass increase due to the oxidation of aluminum to amorphous alumina is mathematically converted into an oxide thickness evolution. The experimental results are then compared with the Cabrera-Mott model and the values of parameters such as the distance between energy barriers, the number of ions per unit area, and the Mott potential are set. In addition, the latter two parameters are varied with the oxygen concentration, following an evolution similar to that of a Langmuir isotherm. This paper then proposes the first validation of a low-temperature oxidation model for aluminum nanoparticles.