X-Ray Investigation of Aerosols from Wires Exploded in Nitrogen

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Abstract
Wires of 18 different metals were exploded in nitrogen by the discharge of a 20-μF capacitor bank charged to 10 kV. The resulting aerosols were collected under nitrogren on membrane e filters, which were mounted on glass slides and used directly in the sample holder of a recording X-ray diffractometer. The X-ray data were analyzed to determine the composition and approximate crystallite size of the particulates produced by the wire explosions in nitrogen and subsequent exposure to air.Nitrides are found as reaction products from the explosion in nitrogen of aluminum, iron, indium, tantalum, thorium, uranium, tungsten, and zirconium. No nitrides were detected in the samples from cadmium, copper, magnesium, molybdenum, lead, and tin explosions, although such nitrides are known to exist; and the aerosols produced in nitrogen by the explosion of silver, gold, molybdenum, platinum, and tin consist almost entirely of metal particles. Oxides are attributed to contamination of the nitrogen or exposure of the samples to air.Most of the crystallites observed are less than 1000 Å as determined from X-ray line broadening find confirmed in some instances by electron microscopy. For the UN2 and ThO2, crystallite sizes of the order of 130 Å and 50 Å, respectively, are observed. In samples comprised of a mixture of phases, the constituents usually have different mean crystallite sizes. The crystallite size is not affected dramatically by the ambient nitrogen pressure or voltage used.