Characterization of Electroexplosive Zinc Nanopowders in Aqueous Suspensions

Abstract

Zn and ZnO nanosized powders are increasingly in demand of materials engineering, power systems and biotechnology. Meanwhile, elaboration, production and application of nanopowders have created the conditions for nanoparticles release into the environment. The lack of physicochemical information about nanoparticles behaviour in liquid environment does not allow to give deep interpretation of toxic effects of nanoparticles and elaborate new techniques for testing of nanomaterials. This study is primarily focused on the characterization of nanopowder composition, shape and dispersity of electroexplosive zinc nanopowder in aqueous suspensions based on simple physiological solutions of phosphate buffering saline, glucose solution, and distilled water. With the help of SEM images, X-ray analysis, and visualization it was revealed that on the surface of sphere-like Zn nanoparticles formed insoluble oxide-hydroxide compounds with strongly developed structure. The method of laser diffraction was used to give a description of the aggregation status of nanoparticles and its evolution on the time-scale.