Copper Nanoparticle Synthesis By The Wire Explosion Technique

Wire explosion technique is performed by passing a high power pulsed current through a metallic wire to disintegrate it through Joule heating effect. In this work, the production of nanoparticles by the wire explosion technique has been investigated. Copper wires with a diameter of 125 μm and a length of 3.5 cm are exploded in air at two different pressures, namely, 1 bar and 10-2 mbar. Particles produced from the wire explosion are collected for characterization. The characterization of the particles is done by using field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive analysis by X-rays (EDAX). The morphology and chemical composition of the particles produced at the two different pressures are compared. Discharge current and optical emission spectra of the wire explosion at the two pressures are also presented.