The secret behind the paste? Pure aluminum
We already know the image, but now we come to the EDX. For this purpose, various points (spectra) are selected in advance and examined more deeply, and later also evaluated in terms of quantity. For our specific purposes, however, we first analyze one of the darker globules that is particularly well exposed.
We see, this is almost pure aluminum, which also makes up the largest portion of the paste in terms of quantity! Very smart people will of course note that aluminum oxidizes faster than you can even say pug. The fact that this is hardly the case here is certainly also due to the manufacturing process. Such aluminum powders (including those for specialized 3D printers), are usually produced by atomization, which also explains the spherical shape. This is usually done in environments filled with inert gas or even in a vacuum. Immediate inclusion in suitable binders such as silicone then prevents further contact with oxygen. It can still be found, but the amount here is just one percent (or less).
What we still find are tiny traces of silver, but this may also be due to impurities during paste production (keyword bottling). The fact that the paste is not electrically conductive is due to the distances between the aluminum beads and whatever else is floating around in the sample. That’s what we’re taking a closer look at now.
Filled up: with zinc oxide the goop is perfect
Let’s now analyze the small blocks that we already know, i.e., the paste’s clamping building blocks, so to speak, and the filler in the nanoparticle range. For this purpose, we will now take a look at the spectrum 23:
Of course, we also catch some aluminum in the spectrum here, but the quantitatively highest proportion is zinc. The oxygen content is also high, but again not part of the aluminum. This leads to the logical conclusion that it is mechanically crushed zinc oxide (ZnO). Mechanical because the sharp-edged shape suggests a grinding tool. As luck would have it, we can even prove that, but I’ll get to that in a moment.
So that would clarify the main components of the MX-4: silicone, pure aluminum and zinc oxide. We can neglect the traces of silver, but there is more to find! Please turn the page!
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