Reduction of micrometer size Al particles in nanosize AlN powder synthesized by pulsed wire discharge

Experimental studies were carried out on the synthesis of nanosize powders of aluminum nitride (A1N) by pulsed wire discharge (PWD). Efforts were made to produce high purity A1N powder by reducing the number of micrometer-size particles. The deposited energy in the wire before the explosion is significantly increased when the discharge energy was increased. The highest A1N content of the powder synthesized in N2 gas mixed with NH3 gas was 98 wt.%. The number of micrometer-size particles observed by scanning electron microscopy is decreased with increasing discharge energy.