Ignition and combustion behaviors of nano-composite energetic materials
type: CreativeWork
description: Advances in material processing have created nano-sized fuel particles with enhanced properties ideal for exothermic reactions compared with those of larger particles of the same material. As a result the combustion associated with nano-scale particles has recently shown the potential for enhanced energetic behavior of thermites. In this study, the ignition sensitivity of an aluminum molybdenum-trioxide (AI/M0O3) composite mixture was examined. Laser ignition experiments were performed to determine the ignition time and burn rates of newly developed nano-Al mixed with M0O3. The scope of this work can best be summarized in two stages: first, the ignition time and bum rates for three nano-regime Al mixtures were studied over a varied composition range, the results were then used to further study ignition time and bum rate as a function of Al particle diameter, which ranged from 17.4 nm to 20 µm at the optimum stoichiometric composition. A 50-W CO2 laser provided the ignition source and high-speed digital images were used to determine ignition time and bum rates. Results indicate that a slightly fuel rich (equivalence ratio of 1.2) mixture presents the earliest ignition times and fastest burn rates for the nano Al particle diameters. Experiments using a slightly fuel rich mixture for ten Al particle diameters show an increased sensitivity to ignition with decreasing particle size, a decreased bum rate with decreasing particle size and less variability of ignition times and burn rates for nano-regime Al.
abstract: Advances in material processing have created nano-sized fuel particles with enhanced properties ideal for exothermic reactions compared with those of larger particles of the same material. As a result the combustion associated with nano-scale particles has recently shown the potential for enhanced energetic behavior of thermites. In this study, the ignition sensitivity of an aluminum molybdenum-trioxide (AI/M0O3) composite mixture was examined. Laser ignition experiments were performed to determine the ignition time and burn rates of newly developed nano-Al mixed with M0O3. The scope of this work can best be summarized in two stages: first, the ignition time and bum rates for three nano-regime Al mixtures were studied over a varied composition range, the results were then used to further study ignition time and bum rate as a function of Al particle diameter, which ranged from 17.4 nm to 20 µm at the optimum stoichiometric composition. A 50-W CO2 laser provided the ignition source and high-speed digital images were used to determine ignition time and bum rates. Results indicate that a slightly fuel rich (equivalence ratio of 1.2) mixture presents the earliest ignition times and fastest burn rates for the nano Al particle diameters. Experiments using a slightly fuel rich mixture for ten Al particle diameters show an increased sensitivity to ignition with decreasing particle size, a decreased bum rate with decreasing particle size and less variability of ignition times and burn rates for nano-regime Al.
author: Granier, John Joseph
language: eng
keywords: Combustion -- Measurement, Nanostructured materials -- Mechanical properties
date published: 2003-05
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:04:53Z
provider: Texas Technology University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Texas Tech University

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2346/16675