As one of the new types of functional materials, nano-sized composite energetic materials (nano-CEMs) possess many advantages and broad application prospects in the research field of explosives and propellants. The recent progress in the preparation and performance characterization of Al-based nano-CEMs has been reviewed. The preparation methods and properties of Al-based nano-CEMs are emphatically analyzed. Special emphasis is focused on the improved performances of Al-based nano-CEMs, which are different from those of conventional micro-sized composite energetic materials (micro-CEMs), such as thermal decomposition and hazardous properties. The existing problems and challenges for the future work on Al-based nano-CEMs are discussed.
Keywords: Al-based; composite energetic materials; hazardous properties; morphology performance; nano-sized particles; thermal decomposition.