The current situation of the nanopowders production technology based on the process of electrical explosion of wires is described. The advantages and disadvantages of the electroexplosive technology are indicated. The results of studies characterizing the effect of the electrical explosion conditions on the nanopowders properties are presented, including latest results: conditions of nanopowders passivation, conditions of nanopowders production having narrow size distribution, the methods of nanopowders diagnostic and standartization. In addition, the application and area of future research on this technology are proposed.

This study investigated refinement behaviors of TiC powders produced under different impact energy conditions using a mechanical milling process. The initial coarse TiC powders with an average diameter of 9.3 were milled for 5, 20, 60 and 120 mins through the conventional low energy mechanical milling (LEMM, 22G) and specially designed high energy mechanical milling (HEMM, 65G). TiC powders with angular shape became spherical one and their sizes decreased as the milling time increased, irrespective of milling energy. Based upon the FE-SEM and BET results of milled powders, it was found initial coarse TiC powders readily became much finer near 100 nm within 60 min under HEMM, while their sizes were over 200 nm under LEMM, despite the long milling time of up to 120 min. Particularly, ultra-fine TiC powders with an average diameter of 77 nm were fabricated within 60 min in the presence of toluene under HEMM.

[ ] oxide layer on the surface of each W(tungsten) nanopowder produced by the electric explosion of wire(EEW) process were formed during the 1vol.% air passivation process. The oxide layer hindered sintering densification of compacts during SPS process. The oxide phase was reduced to the pure W phase during SPS. The W nanopowder's compacts treated by the hydrogen reduction showed high sintered density of 94.5%. after SPS process at .

Nanoscale Al powder with thin layer of alumina was produced by Wire Electric Explosion (WEE) process. Spark-Plasma Sintering (SPS) was performed for the produced powder to confirm the effectiveness of SPS like so-called 'surface-cleaning effect' and so on. Crystallite size and alumina content of produced powder varied with the ratio of input energy to sublimation energy of Al wire (): Increase in () resulted in the decrease of crystallite size and the increase of alumina content. Shrinkage curve during SPS process showed that the oxide surface layer could not be destroyed near the melting point of Al. It implied that there was not enough or no spark-plasma effect during SPS for Al/Alumina powder.

An experimental study on the combustion of superfine aluminum powders (average particle diameter, a: ∼0.1 ) in air is reported. The formation of aluminum nitride during the combustion of aluminum in air and the influence of the combustion scenario on the structures and compositions of the final products are in the focus of this study. The experiments were conducted in an air (pressure: 1 atm). Superfine aluminum powders were produced by the wire electrical explosion method. Such superfine aluminum powder is stable in air but once ignited it can burn in a self-sustaining way due to its low bulk: density (∼0.1 g/㎤) and a low thermal conductivity. During combustion, the temperature and radiation were measured and the actual burning process was recorded by a video camera. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and chemical analysis were performed on the both initial powders and final products. It was found that the powders, ignited by local heating, burned in a two-stage self-propagating regime. The products of the first stage consisted of unreacted aluminum (-70 mass %) and amorphous oxides with traces of AlN. After the second stage the AlN content exceeded 50 mass % and the residual Al content decreased to ∼10 mass %. A qualitative discussion is given on the kinetic limitation for AlN oxidation due to rapid condensation and encapsulation of gaseous AlN.N.

The passivation and oxidation process of tungsten and molybdenum narlopowders, produced by electrical explosion of wires was studied by means of FE-SEM, XPS. XRD, TEM, DIA-TGA and sire distribution analysis. In addition, the phase transformation of W and Mo nanopowders under oxidation in air was investigated. A chemical process is suggested for the oxidation of W and Mo nano-particles after a comprehensive testing of passivated and oxidized powders.

Nano-sized was in situ synthesized in copper matrix through self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) with high-energy ball milled Ti-B-Cu elemental mixtures as powder precursors. The size of particles in the product of SHS reaction decreases with time of preliminary mechanical treatment ranging from 1 in untreated mixture to 0.1 in mixtures milled for 3 min. Subsequent mechanical treatment of the product of SHS reaction allowed the particles to be reduced down to 30-50 nm. Microstructural change of -Cu nanocomposite during spark plasma sintering (SPS) was also investigated. Under simultaneous action of pressure, temperature and electric current, titanium diboride nanoparticles distributed in copper matrix move, agglomerate and form a interpenetrating phase composite with a fine-grained skeleton.

The phenomenon of electrical explosion of conductors is considered in the context of the changes in the energy and structural states of the metal at the stages of energy delivery and relaxation of the primary products of EEC. It is shown that these changes are related to the forced interaction of an intense energy flux with matter and to the subsequent spontaneous relaxation processes. The characteristics of nano-sized metal powders are also discussed. The preferential gas media during EEC is Ar+. An increase in (in the range of values studied) leads to a reduction in the metal content. For reactive powders obtained with high metal content, it is necessary to separate the SFAP fractions, which settled on the negative electrode of the electric filter.

The phenomenon of electrical explosion of conductors is considered in the context of the changes in the energy and structural states of the metal at the stages of energy delivery and relaxation of the primary products of EEC. It is shown that these changes are related to the forced interaction of an intense energy flux with matter and to the subsequent spontaneous relaxation processes. The characteristics of nano-sized metal powders are also discussed.

Pure WC powders which does not include a binder phase were consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process at 1600~185 for 0~30 min under 50 MPa. Microstructure alid mechanical properties of binderless WC prepared by SPS were investigated. With increasing sintering temperature, sintered density and Vickers hardness of binderless WC increased. The fracture toughness of binderless WC was 7~15 MPa depending on the sintered density and decreased with increasing the Vickers hardness. It is found that the binderless WC prepared by SPS at 175 for 10 min under 50 MPa showed nearly full densification with fine-grained structure and revealed excellent mechanical properties of high hardness (~HV 2400) and considerably high fracture toughness (~7 MPa ).

Mechanically-alloyed NiAl powder was sintered by Spark-Plasma Sintering (SPS) process. Densification and behavior mechanical property were determined from the experimental results and analysis ,such as changes in linear shrinkage, shrinkage rate, microstructure, and phase during sintering process, Victors hardness, and transver.ie-rupture-strength (TRS). Above 97% relative density was obtained after sintering at 115 for 5 min. Crystallite size determined by the Scherrer method was approximately 50 nm. From the X-ray diffraction analysis it was confirmed that the sintered bodies were composed mainly of NiAl phase together with NiAl phase. Measured Vickers hardness and TRS value were 55510 and 139375 MPa , respectively.

Interpenetrating phase composites of -Cu system were produced via Spark-Plasma Sintering (SPS) oi nanocomposite powders. Under simultaneous action of pressure, temperature and electric current titanium diboride nanoparticles distributed in copper matrix move, agglomerate and form a fine-grained skeleton. Increasing SPS-temperature and he]ding time promote densification due to local melting of copper matrix When copper melting is avoided the compacts contain 17-20% porosity but titanium diboride skeleton is still formed representing the feature of SPS . High degree of densification and formation of titanium diboride network result in increased hardness of high-temperature SPS-compacts.