The thermal explosion synthesis of AlNi monitored by neutron thermodiffractometry Original Research Article

The synthesis of AlNi from thermally activated equimolar powder mixtures of aluminium and nickel was monitored in situ and acquired diffraction patterns every 2 s or less. The analysis of diffraction patterns image permitted establishment of its kinetics, which could be modeled according to an equation expressed as image. From 1530 to image an activation energy of 9 ± 2 kJ mol−1 was estimated. Also, the crystallite size evolution on cooling was established to vary from image nm at 1530 °C to image nm at 180 °C. Finally, the reaction was found to occur through the melting of aluminium and the subsequent dissolving of nickel to form the polycrystalline single-phase product, AlNi.