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Ignition Characteristics of Metastable Intermolecular Composites
Author(s) -
Asay Blaine W.,
Son Steven F.,
Busse James R.,
Oschwald David M.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
propellants, explosives, pyrotechnics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.56
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1521-4087
pISSN - 0721-3115
DOI - 10.1002/prep.200400049
Subject(s) - materials science , metastability , intermolecular force , molybdenum trioxide , composite material , convection , compaction , thermal conduction , particle (ecology) , chemical physics , molybdenum , thermodynamics , chemistry , molecule , physics , oceanography , organic chemistry , metallurgy , geology
Metastable Intermolecular Composite (MIC) materials are comprised of a mixture of oxidizer and fuel with particle sizes in the nanometer range. They are a subclass of materials known as thermites. The mechanism responsible for the propagation of reaction in loose compacts is not well understood. We have conducted a series of experiments using high‐speed photography and pressure transducers in an attempt to identify the dominant mechanism. We studied a mixture of aluminum and molybdenum trioxide. Of the four possible candidates (radiation, convection, conduction, and acoustic/compaction), these preliminary studies identify convection as the most likely. However, the extent of contribution of the other modes is not yet known and this will receive further study.