Al-Cu alloy nano powders have been produced by the electrical explosion of Cu-plated Al wire. The porous nano particles were prepared by leaching for Al-Cu alloy nano powders in 40wt% NaOH aqueous solution. The surface area of leached powder for 5 hours was 4 times larger than that of original alloy nano powder. It is demonstrated that porous nano particles could be obtained by selective leaching of alloy nano powder. It is expected that porous Cu nano powders can be applied for catalyst of SRM (steam reforming methanol).

Cu-Ni-P alloy nano powders were fabricated by the electrical explosion of electroless Ni plated Cu wires. The effect of applied voltage on the explosion was examined by applying pulse voltage of 6 and 28 kV, The estimated overheating factor, K, were 1.3 for 6 kV and 2.2 for 28 kV. The powders produced with pulse voltage of 6 kV were composed of Cu-rich solid solution, Ni-rich solid solution, and phase. While, those produced with 28 kV were complete Cu-Ni-P solid solution and small amount of phase. The initial P content of 6.5 at.% was reduced to 2-3 at.% during explosion due to its high vapour pressure.

Cu-Zn alloy nano powders were fabricated by the electrical explosion of Zn-electroplated Cu wire along with commercial brass wire. The powders exploded from brass wire were composed mainly of phases while those from electroplated wires contained additional Zn-rich phases as , and Zn. In case of Zn-elec-troplated Cu wire, the mixing time of the two components during explosion might not be long enough to solidify as the phases of lower Zn content. This along with the high vapor pressure of Zn appears to be the reason for the observed shift of explosion products towards the high-Zn phases in electroplated wire system.

Al-Cu alloy nano powders were produced by the electrical explosion of Cu-plated Al wires. The composition and phase of the alloy could be controlled by varying the thickness of Cu deposit on Al wire. When the Cu layer was thin, Al solid solution and were the major phases. As the Cu layer becomes thicker, Al diminished while phase prevailed instead. The average particle size of Al-Cu nano powders became slightly smaller from 63 nm to 44 nm as Cu layer becomes thicker. The oxygen content of Al-Cu powder decreased linearly with Cu content. It is well demonstrated that the electrodeposition combined with wire explosion could be simple and economical means to prepare variety of alloy and intermetallic nano powders.

The possibility to decrease agglomeration of Cu nano powders and their separation during pulsed wire evaporation (PWE) process was investigated by controlling the working gas system, i.e., the design of the gas path, the type and pressure of the atmospheric gas. As a result, it was possible to choose the optimal design of the gas path providing large specific surface area and high degree of separation of the synthesized Cu nano powders. It was also shown that an Ar+10∼50 mixture can be used in production of Cu nano powders, which do not react with nitrogen.

Nanocrystalline materials of Ni and Ni-Cu alloy have been synthesized by the pulsed wire evaporation (PWE) method and these abnormal magnetic properties in the magnetic ordered state have been characterized using both VSM and SQUID in the range of high and low magnetic fields. Ni and Ni-Cu particles with an average size of 20 to 80 nm were found to influence magnetic hysterisis behavior and the results of powder neutron diffraction patterns and saturation magnetization curves are shown to indicate the absence of the NiO phase. The shifted hysterisis loop and irreversibility of the magnetization curve in the high field region were observed in the magnetic-ordered state of both Ni and Ni-Cu. The virgin magnetization curve for Ni slightly spillover on the limited hysterisis loop (20kOe). This irreversibility in the high field of 50 kOe can be explained by non-col-linear behavior and the existence of the metastable states of the magnetization at the surface layer (or core) of the particle in the applied magnetic field. Immiscible alloy of Cu-Ni was also found to show irreversibility having two different magnetic phases.