The synthesis of hexagonal aluminum nitride (AlN) nanoparticles and nanowhiskers by using direct nitridation of aluminum powders is presented in this work. After mixing aluminum powders with carbon and silica (derived from rice bran ashes) at a cryogenic temperature, the homogeneous mixture was heat treated/examined in a differential scanning calorimeter/tube furnace under N2 atmosphere. Under a maximum temperature of 1450 °C in N2 atmosphere, the as-milled aluminum-carbon-silica powder mixtures transformed completely into AlN nanoparticles and nanowhiskers with a trace of graphite. The formation mechanisms for AlN nanoparticles and nanowhiskers are discussed.
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