| Summary: | This study developed an energy-enhanced (ee)-micro-electric discharge machining (EDM) system for preparing nano-tungsten (nano-W) colloids. This system enables spark discharge using tungsten wires immersed in deionized water, to produce nano-W colloids. Compared with the chemical preparation method, the processing environment for preparing colloids in this study prevented nanoparticle escape. Among the nano-W colloids prepared using the ee-micro-EDM system and an industrial EDM system, the colloid prepared by the ee-micro-EDM system exhibited a more favorable absorbance, suspensibility, and particle size. The colloid prepared by the ee-micro-EDM system with a pulse on time and off time of 10–10 μs had an absorbance of 0.277 at a wavelength of 315 nm, ζ potential of −64.9 mV, and an average particle size of 164.9 nm. Transmission electron microscope imaging revealed a minimum particle size of approximately 11 nm, and the X-ray diffractometer spectrum verified that the colloid contained only <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi mathvariant="normal">W</mi><mrow><mn>2.00</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></semantics></math></inline-formula> and W nanoparticles. Relative to industrial EDM applications for nano-W colloid preparation, the ee-micro-EDM system boasts a lower cost and smaller size, and produces nano-W colloids with superior performance. These advantages contribute to the competitiveness of the electrical spark discharge method in the preparation of high-quality nano-W colloids.
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