Methods of the Synthesis of Aluminum Borides from Elemental Substances for Use as High-Energy Materials: A Review

Two methods of the synthesis of aluminum borides are considered, one of which is the calcination of a mixture of Al and B powders at temperatures from 900 to 1500°C and the other is high-temperature self-propagating synthesis with mechanical preactivation. It is shown that aluminum borides can be synthesized by mechanical activation alone. All these methods give micrometer-sized particles of aluminum borides. The plasma recondensation of an Al–B mixture produces nanodispersed powders of aluminum borides. The activity of the powders with respect to atmospheric oxygen is determined by thermogravimetric analysis.