Aluminium powder is powdered

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

. This was originally produced by mechanical means using a

stamp mill A stamp mill (or stamp battery or stamping mill) is a type of Mill (grinding), mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than Mill (grinding), grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking materia ...

to create flakes. Subsequently, a process of spraying molten aluminium to create a powder of droplets was developed by E. J. Hall in the 1920s. The resulting powder might then be processed further in a

ball mill A ball mill is a type of grinder filled with grinding balls, used to grind or blend materials for use in mineral dressing processes, paints, pyrotechnics, ceramics, and selective laser sintering. It works on the principle of impact and attri ...

to flatten it into flakes for use as a coating or pigment. Aluminium powder features low density with high conductivity.

Characteristics

Powdered aluminium shares many of the physical characteristics of bulk aluminium such as its molecular weight of 26.981538 g mol⁻¹, melting point of 660 °C, and a boiling point of 2460 °C. It combusts at a much faster rate to bulk aluminium, this is due to the fact that the gaps between the particles allow for more air and therefor faster oxidization.

Usage

autoclave An autoclave is a machine used to carry out industrial and scientific processes requiring elevated temperature and pressure in relation to ambient pressure and/or temperature. Autoclaves are used before surgical procedures to perform steriliza ...

aerated concrete Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) also referred to as autoclaved cellular concrete (ACC) or simply autoclaved concrete is a lightweight, Prefabrication, prefabricated concrete building material. Developed in the mid-1920s, it is an alternat ...

* cosmetic

colourant A colourant/colour additive (British spelling) or colorant/color additive (American spelling) is a substance that is added or applied in order to change the colour of a material or surface. Colourants can be used for many purposes including printin ...

fingerprint powder Fingerprint powders are fine powders used, in conjunction with fingerprint brushes, by crime scene investigators and other law enforcement personnel to search for and enhance latent/invisible fingerprints that can be used to determine identificat ...

metallic paint Metallic paint, which may also be called metal flake (or incorrectly named polychromatic), is a type of paint that is most common on new automobiles, but is also used for other purposes. Metallic color, Metallic paint can reveal the contours of Co ...

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...

(including the M-80 firecracker) *

refractory In materials science, a refractory (or refractory material) is a material that is resistant to decomposition by heat or chemical attack and that retains its strength and rigidity at high temperatures. They are inorganic, non-metallic compound ...

* rocket and missile fuel such as the

solid rocket booster A solid rocket booster (SRB) is a solid propellant motor used to provide thrust in spacecraft launches from initial launch through the first ascent. Many launch vehicles, including the Atlas V, SLS and Space Shuttle, have used SRBs to give laun ...

s of the

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable launch system, reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. ...

thermite Thermite () is a pyrotechnic composition of powder metallurgy, metal powder and metal oxide. When ignited by heat or chemical reaction, thermite undergoes an exothermic redox, reduction-oxidation (redox) reaction. Most varieties are not explos ...

* Electrically conductive filler material for EMI shielding applications. *

Improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...

Depending on the usage, the powder is either coated or uncoated.

Safety

Aluminium is insoluble. Although aluminium is unlikely to be adsorbed into the blood stream, its inhalation can cause severe irritation and hinder the ventilation mechanism. High levels of exposure over many years may result in aluminosis which causes

pulmonary fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lungs become scarred over time. Symptoms include shortness of breath, a dry cough, feeling tired, weight loss, and nail clubbing. Complications may include pulmonary hypertension, respiratory ...

. Aluminium powder and dust is highly flammable and creates a significant risk of fire or explosion. There have been many incidents in industries which produce such dusts and powders.

References

Aluminium Aluminum objects Powders {{Metal-stub

Characteristics

Usage

Safety

See also

References