Research on Oxidation Reaction of AlN Powder

The process of non-isothermal oxidation of AlN powder (d50=15μm, 5μm and 0.5μm) were studied by TG-DTA and XRD in atmosphere of 80%N2 and 20%O2 mixture at flowrate of 55ml/min and heating rate of 10 /min. The experimental results reveal that the AlN powder obviously began to be oxidated and its weight increased at 900-1000°С . The process of dynamics of oxidation reaction between AlN and O2 was controlled alternately by reaction and diffusion. Non-isothermal oxidation dynamic parameters (activation energy E, reaction orders n and pre-exponential factor A) of d50=5μm AlN powder were obtained by the experimental data. E equals about 417.4kJ/mol, n about 2.9 and A about 3.47×1012. Due to smaller activation energy E and larger pre-exponential factor A in dynamic parameters of AlN powder non-isothermal oxidation, powdery AlN is easily oxidated at high temperature and in air and has a larger oxidation reaction rate. If AlN material with high thermal conductivity characteristics is introduced to prepare composite with high thermal shock resistance, the AlN powder must be treated for oxidation resistance.