Ultrasonic Non-Contact Diagnostics of the Surface of Burning Aluminum Nanopowder

A promising method for producing AlN is synthesis by combustion during the combustion of an electroexplosive aluminum nanopowder in air. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to observe and control this process due to high process velocity and brightness of the combustion. In the current research, we propose a new method for diagnosing the aluminum nanopowder surface during combustion under conditions of a thermal explosion in air. The ultrasonic noncontact surface diagnostics is offered as a new research method. This method is an alternative to existing methods for diagnosing combustion of metal powders, such as direct observation or the use of laser imaging systems. The advantages of the proposed method are cheaper equipment, simpler technical implementation, compact size and mobility. Moreover, it is very useful to investigate the ultrasonic propagation in the combustion-plasma layer not only for the diagnostic purposes but also for the achievement of new scientific knowledge.