Electrophoretic deposition and thermo-chemical properties of Al/Fe2O3 nanothermite thick films

Jie Wu, Songbai Xue, Denzel Bridges, Yongchao Yu, Cary Smith, Kunlun Hong, Curtis Hill, Zhili Zhang, Zhili Feng, Anming Hu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have successfully fabricated α-Fe2O3 oxidizers with different shapes, including nanoparticles (NPs, diameter: ~22.1 nm), nanorods (NRs, length: 385.3 nm) and nanowires (NWs). For the Al/Fe2O3 NPs thermite reaction, as the nominal weight ratio for Al/Fe2O3 (NPs) reaches 2.5:1, the fastest combustion velocity (2.03 m/s), the largest instant plume propagation speed (10.71 m/s) as well as the maximum heat release (~9.46 kJ/g) can be achieved. However, with the same nominal weight ratio, the average combustion velocity and the instant plume speed of Al/Fe2O3 (NRs) and Al/Fe nitrilotriacetic acid precusors NWs (FeNTA,) nanothermite are only about 0.16 m/s and 4.96 m/s, and 0.098 m/s and 3.28 m/s, respectively. This is probably due to the shape difference that renders different contact configurations between nano-fuel and nano-oxidizer. In addition, an incomplete calcination of FeNTA is also responsible for such a low combustion velocity. The reaction products were further identified by SEM and XRD analysis. Accordingly, the reaction mechanisms for the examined nanothermites were mainly controlled by the oxygen transfer dynamics.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)52-64
Number of pages13
JournalEngineered Science
Volume4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018

Funding

This project is partially supported by the Mission Seed Grant of UT

Keywords

  • Electrophoretic deposition (EPD)
  • Nanostructure
  • Nanothermite
  • Reaction products

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