Tantalum-tungsten oxide thermite composites prepared by sol-gel synthesis and spark plasma sintering

Journal Article · Sun Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Combustion and Flame

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMBUSTFLAME.2010.01.005· OSTI ID:21331458

Kuntz, Joshua D; Gash, Alexander E ^[1]; Cervantes, Octavio G ^[1]; Munir, Zuhair A ^[2]

---

1. Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave., Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)
2. Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of California-Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

Energetic composite powders consisting of sol-gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide were produced with various amounts of micrometer-scale tantalum fuel metal. Such energetic composite powders were ignition-tested and the results show that the powders are not sensitive to friction, spark and/or impact ignition. Initial consolidation experiments, using the High-Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering (HPSPS) technique, on the sol-gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide produced samples with higher relative density than can be achieved with commercially available tungsten oxide. The sol-gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide with immobilized tantalum fuel metal (Ta-WO{sub 3}) energetic composite was consolidated to a density of 9.17 g cm{sup -3} or 93% relative density. In addition, those samples were consolidated without significant pre-reaction of the constituents, thus retaining their stored chemical energy. (author)

• OSTI ID: 21331458
• Journal Information: Combustion and Flame, Vol. 157, Issue 8; Other Information: Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved; ISSN 0010-2180
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
TUNGSTEN OXIDES
TANTALUM
SOL-GEL PROCESS
DENSITY
SINTERING
PRESSURE RANGE MEGA PA 100-1000
NANOSTRUCTURES
PLASMA
POWDERS
IGNITION
SYNTHESIS
FRICTION
Thermite