Use of the Pickering Emulsion Method for the Preparation of Nano‐Aluminum Powder/Fluororubber Composite Microspheres

Abstract

The combination of fluoropolymer and nano‐thermite has been a research focus in the field of materials in the field of energy and storage in recent years, but it faces the problem of uneven mixing of fluoropolymer and nano‐aluminum powder (nAl). Therefore, it is of great significance to obtain a fluorine/aluminum uniform composite by a solid/solid phase mixing method. In this paper, Pickering emulsions effectively blend difficult‐to‐mix powders of nAl and solid bulk fluoroelastomers on the micro‐ and nanoscale. The emulsion was prepared by Pickering emulsion with an ethyl acetate solution of fluororubber as the oil phase and perfluorocarboxylic acid‐modified nano‐aluminum powder as a surfactant. The effects of oil/water ratio, fluororubber/aluminum ratio, and standing time on the stability of the emulsion were studied. The nano‐aluminum powder/fluororubber composite microspheres were prepared and their morphology, thermal decomposition, and combustion properties were characterized. The results showed that the emulsion prepared with the oil/water ratio of 1:8 and m(fluororubber):m(modified nano‐aluminum powder) of 5:1 had good stability and dispersion. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the complex was observed to be regular spherical and the size was about 10 µm, and the composite microspheres prepared by the Pickering emulsion had good. The TG‐DSC results showed that the decomposition of the composite microspheres started at about 450 °C and finished at 519 °C. The composite microspheres prepared in this paper are stable and rapid in exotherm, with a combustion rate of 33 cm s⁻¹ and excellent combustion performance. The Pickering emulsion introduces a new idea for the preparation of thermite by mixing the solid reactants at the micro‐nano level without introducing substances that reduce the energy of the system.