In this study, the electroless nickel plating method has been investigated for the coating of Ni nanoparticles onto fine Al powder as promising energetic materials. The adsorption of nickel nanoparticles onto the surface of Al powders has been studied by varying various process parameters, namely, the amounts of reducing agent, complexing agent, and pH-controller. The size of nickel nanoparticles synthesized in the process has been optimized to approximately 200 nm and they have been adsorbed on the Al powder. TGA results clearly show that the temperature at which oxidation of Al mainly occurs is lowered as the amount of Ni nanoparticles on the Al surface increases. Furthermore, the Ni-plated Al powders prepared for all conditions show improved exothermic reaction due to the selfpropagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) between Ni and Al. Therefore, Al powders fully coated by Ni nanoparticles show the highest exothermic reactivity: this demonstrates the efficiency of Ni coating in improving the energetic properties of Al powders.

Nickel powders were prepared under solvothermal condition by precipitation from metal nitrates with aqueous ammonium hydroxide. The powders were obtained at in a temperature range of 190-250 oC for 6h. The morphology and size of nickel powders were studied as a function of reaction temperature. The synthesis of nickel crystalline particles is possible under a solvothermal conditions in ethylene glycol solution. Characterization of the synthesized nickel powders were studied by XRD, SEM(FE-SEM) and TG/DSC. X-ray diffraction analysis of the synthesized powders indicated the formation of nickel structure after reaction. The average crystalline sizes of the synthesized nickel powders were in the range of 200-1000 nm; and the distribution of the powders was broad. The shape of the synthesized nickel particles was almost spherical. The morphology of synthesized nickel powders changed with reaction condition. It was possible to synthesize nickel powders directly in ethylene glycol without reducing agent.

Nickel powders were synthesized by the hydrazine reduction of nickel chloride solution containing ammonia in DEA solutions. The size distribution of nickel powders were investigated as a function of ammonia concentration, hydrazine concentration and the mixed composition ratio of diethanolammine (DEA) and triethanolammine (TEA). Nickel powders with the size in submicron range were obtained at for 45 minutes by hydrazine reduction of nickel chloride solution in DEA solutions. The hydrazine concentrations showed significant effects on the particle size and shape distribution of nickel powders under molar ratio of 2.0 condition. As the mixed volume ratio of TEA and DEA increased, nickel powders with relatively larger particle size and low agglomeration were obtained. Nickel powders with particle size in the ranged from 0.4 to were obtained at the 50 of TEA.

Ni-diamond composite powders with nickel layer of round-top type on the surface of synthetic diamond (140/170 mesh) were prepared by the electroless plating method (EN) with semi-batch reactor. The effects of nickel concentration, feeding rates of reductant, temperature, reaction time and stirring speeds on the weight percentage and morphology of deposited Ni, mean particle size and specific surface area of the composite powders were investigated by Atomic Adsortion Spectrometer, SEM-EDX, PSA and BET. It was found that nucleated Ni-P islands, acted as catalytic sites for further deposition and grown into these relatively thick layers with nodule-type on the surface of diamond by a lateral growth mechanism. The weight percentage of Ni in the composite powder increased with reaction time, feeding rate of reductant and temperature, but decreased with stirring speed. The weight percentage of Ni in Ni-diamond composite powder was 55% at 150 min., 200 rpm and 7 .