Fast Reacting Nano-Composite Energetic Materials: Synthesis and Combustion Characterization

The advent of nanoparticle fuels enables traditionally diffusive controlled reactions to transition towards kinetically dominant reactions, a transition that results in faster reacting formulations that show promise of harnessing the power equivalent to a monomolecular explosive, but packaged as discretely separate fuel and oxidizer composites.

Army Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Energetic composites are mixtures of solid fuel and oxidizer particles that, when combined, offer higher calorific output than monomolecular explosives. The composites traditionally deliver energy as diffusion limited reactions and, thus, their power available from reaction is much smaller than any explosive.

Technology, however, has advanced particle synthesis, and nanoparticles have become more readily available. The advent of nanoparticle fuels enables traditionally diffusive controlled reactions to transition towards kinetically dominant reactions. This transition results in faster reacting formulations that show promise of harnessing the power equivalent to a monomolecular explosive but packaged as discretely separate fuel and oxidizer composites.