Formation of AlN from Secondary Al Resources

Synthesis of AlN by NH4Cl-assisted direct nitridation of secondary Al resources was studied. Aluminum alloy scrap contained Mg and Zn element was used. Milled Al scrap （-1 mm） was mixed with NH4Cl and heated at 1000℃ for 1 h in presence of 1 L/min N2 flow gas. The nitrided product was evaluated by X-ray diffraction semi-quantitative analysis and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. Aluminium nitride of 90.5% concentration was obtained with a hexagonal crystalline form. AlN is mostly formed in nano-whisker morphology （50～150 nm） which is homogenously distributed.

Morphology control of aluminum nitride(AlN)for a novel high-temperature hydrogen sensor

Hydrogen is a promising renewable energy source for fossil-free transportation and electrical energy generation.However,leaking hydrogen in high-temperature production processes can cause an explosion,which endangers production workers and surrounding areas.To detect leaks early,we used a sensor material based on a wide bandgap aluminum nitride(AlN)that can withstand a high-temperature environment.Three unique AlN morphologies(rod-like,nest-like,and hexagonal plate-like)were synthesized by a direct nitridation method at 1400℃usingγ-AlOOH as a precursor.The gas-sensing performance shows that a hexagonal plate-like morphology exhibited p-type sensing behavior and showed good repeatability as well as the highest response(S=58.7)toward a 750 ppm leak of H2 gas at high temperature(500°C)compared with the rod-like and nest-like morphologies.Furthermore,the hexagonal plate-like morphology showed fast response and recovery times of 40 and 82 s,respectively.The surface facet of the hexagonal morphology of AlN might be energetically favorable for gas adsorption–desorption for enhanced hydrogen detection.

Synthesis and photoluminescent properties of Sr_2Si_5N_8:Eu^(2+) red phosphors for white light-emitting diodes

Highly efficient Sr2Si5N8：Eu^2＋red emitting phosphor was successfully synthesized by a cost-effective direct silicon nitrida-tion and gas-reduction method. The effects of synthesis parameters, including reaction temperature, heating rate and gas species, on the crystal structure and photoluminescence of the prepared phosphors were studied. Single-phase Sr2Si5N8：Eu^2＋phosphor was ob-tained at 1500℃ with a heating rate of 300℃/h under NH3-1 vol.%CH4 atmosphere using starting silicon and oxide powders. Silicon powder and high heating rate favored the achievement of the pure Sr2Si5N8 phase. Under near-UV to blue light excitation, the obtained Sr2Si5N8：Eu2＋phosphor showed a board red emission band centered at about 625 nm, which agreed well with the phosphors prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction. The possible reaction mechanism was also proposed based on the experimental observations.