Passivation of iron nanopowders at temperatures below 0°C in a dry air atmosphere

Abstract

It was experimentally shown that, at a temperature below–25°C, an iron nanopowder produced by a chemical metallurgical method does not ignite spontaneously in dry air. At this temperature, the nanopowder is passivated by atmospheric oxygen so that it neither is oxidized, nor self-ignites in air at room temperature. Thus, the proposed nanopowder production method ensures an acceptable safety level of handling nanopowders while preserving their unique properties.