Thermal Behavior of Fe2O3/Al Thermite Mixtures in Air and Vacuum Environments
- Chemical Engineering Dept., Fac, of Sci. and Tech., Univ. of Coimbra, Polo II, 3030-290 Coimbra (Portugal) and Laboratory of Energetics and Detonics, Av. da Univ. de Coimbra, 3150-277 Condeixa-a-Nova (Portugal)
- Centro Tecnologico da Ceramica e do Vidro, R. Cor. Veiga Sima(tilde sign)o, 3020-053 Coimbra (Portugal)
- Laboratory of Energetics and Detonics, Av. da Univ. de Coimbra, 3150-277 Condeixa-a-Nova (Portugal)
- Chemical Engineering Dept., Fac, of Sci. and Tech., Univ. of Coimbra, Polo II, 3030-290 Coimbra (Portugal)
In this work, the thermal behavior of Fe2O3/Al thermite mixtures, in air and vacuum, is studied. The individual reactants and three mixtures - stoichiometric and over aluminized - are tested, by Simultaneous Thermal Analysis (STA) and heating microscopy, with a heating rate of 10 deg. C/min. The STA results show that the presence of O2 from air, or from residual air in vacuum, influenced the reaction scheme. The Al oxidation by this oxygen was extensive, making the thermite reaction with Fe2O3 unviable. There was also evidence of significant conversion of the Fe2O3 into Fe3O4, supporting the previous conclusion. So, the STA curves for the three mixtures were similar and displayed features of the individual reactants' curves. The heating microscopy images confirmed the STA conclusions, with one exception: the thermal explosion of the Al sample close to 550 deg. C. The absence of this phenomenon in STA results was explained by the limited amount of material used in each sample.
- OSTI ID:
- 20875790
- Journal Information:
- AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 845, Issue 1; Conference: American Physical Society Topical Group conference on shock compression of condensed matter, Baltimore, MD (United States), 31 Jul - 5 Aug 2005; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2263480; (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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