Microstructure and thermokinetics analysis of combustion synthesized AlN

The mechanism for combustion synthesis (CS) of AlN was investigated in the present paper. A novel quenching technique was developed to retain the high-temperature structure formed in the sample during the combustion process. Based on the microstructural observation of the quenched specimen and thermodynamic analysis, a two-step reaction mechanism for CS AlN, i.e., vaporization of Al and subsequent reaction with N₂, is proposed.