In situ observations of reacting Al/Fe2O3 thermite: Relating dynamic particle size to macroscopic burn time

Grapes, Michael D.; Reeves, Robert V.; Fezzaa, Kamel; Sun, Tao; Densmore, John M.; Sullivan, Kyle T.

doi:10.1016/j.combustflame.2018.12.021

Title: In situ observations of reacting Al/Fe₂O₃ thermite: Relating dynamic particle size to macroscopic burn time

Journal Article · 11 January 2019 · Combustion and Flame

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2018.12.021 · OSTI ID:1491647

^[1]; Reeves, Robert V. ^[1]; Fezzaa, Kamel ^[2];

^[2]; Densmore, John M. ^[1]; Sullivan, Kyle T. ^[1]

Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Time-resolved x-ray imaging is used to capture high-resolution images of the Al/Fe₂O₃ thermite reaction as it proceeds in an extended burn tube. The observed thermite reaction products are generally large, multi-phase composite particles. Image processing algorithms are developed to extract a continuous record of composite particle size as a function of time and distance from the ignition point. Small particles are observed immediately after ignition, followed by a rapid increase in particle size and a gradual decline toward late times. Correlating the dynamic particle size with visible light emission from the reaction, we propose a two-stage mechanism where the combination of early ignition and delayed expansion causes the material closest to the ignition point to undergo substantial coalescence before it begins moving down the tube. We also identify two mechanisms that may contribute to particle size refinement at late times, both based on the collapse of large gas bubbles that are observed preferentially in particles at earlier times. A new approach to extracting burn times from luminous intensity data is explored, and we find that a more nuanced analysis of burn time and luminous intensity may help to improve reactivity assessments when data from in situ studies is unavailable.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC52-07NA27344

OSTI ID:: 1491647

Report Number(s):: LLNL-JRNL--752112; 937550

Journal Information:: Combustion and Flame, Journal Name: Combustion and Flame Journal Issue: C Vol. 201; ISSN 0010-2180

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (29)

Controlling Material Reactivity Using Architecture Sullivan, Kyle T.; Zhu, Cheng; Duoss, Eric B. Advanced Materials, Vol. 28, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201504286	journal	December 2015
Ignition Characteristics of Metastable Intermolecular Composites Asay, Blaine W.; Son, Steven F.; Busse, James R. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 29, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.200400049	journal	August 2004
Combustion Behavior of Highly Energetic Thermites: Nano versus Micron Composites Pantoya, Michelle?L.; Granier, John?J. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 30, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.200400085	journal	February 2005
The Role of Fuel Particle Size on Flame Propagation Velocity in Thermites with a Nanoscale Oxidizer Sullivan, Kyle T.; Kuntz, Joshua D.; Gash, Alexander E. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 39, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.201400020	journal	April 2014
Expansion Behavior and Temperature Mapping of Thermites in Burn Tubes as a Function of Fill Length Densmore, John M.; Sullivan, Kyle T.; Gash, Alexander E. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 39, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.201400024	journal	April 2014
Ignition of Nanocomposite Thermites by Electric Spark and Shock Wave Shaw, William L.; Dlott, Dana D.; Williams, Rayon A. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 39, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.201400027	journal	April 2014
Quantifying Dynamic Processes in Reactive Materials: An Extended Burn Tube Test Sullivan, Kyle T.; Cervantes, Octavio; Densmore, John M. Propellants, Explosives, Pyrotechnics, Vol. 40, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/prep.201400267	journal	February 2015
The densities of liquid iron and nickel and an estimate of their critical temperature Grosse, A. V.; Kirshenbaum, A. D. Journal of Inorganic and Nuclear Chemistry, Vol. 25, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1902(63)80181-5	journal	April 1963
Image thresholding by minimizing the measures of fuzziness Huang, Liang-Kai; Wang, Mao-Jiun J. Pattern Recognition, Vol. 28, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-3203(94)E0043-K	journal	January 1995
Particle combustion rates in premixed flames of polydisperse metal—air aerosols Shoshin, Y.; Dreizin, E. Combustion and Flame, Vol. 133, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0010-2180(02)00571-0	journal	May 2003
Combustion wave speeds of nanocomposite Al/Fe2O3: the effects of Fe2O3 particle synthesis technique Plantier, Keith B.; Pantoya, Michelle L.; Gash, Alexander E. Combustion and Flame, Vol. 140, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2004.10.009	journal	March 2005
Reactive sintering: An important component in the combustion of nanocomposite thermites Sullivan, K. T.; Piekiel, N. W.; Wu, C. Combustion and Flame, Vol. 159, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2011.07.015	journal	January 2012
Electrophoretic deposition of binary energetic composites Sullivan, Kyle Thomas; Worsley, Marcus Andre; Kuntz, Joshua David Combustion and Flame, Vol. 159, Issue 6, p. 2210-2218 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2012.01.021	journal	June 2012
Evidence for the transition from the diffusion-limit in aluminum particle combustion Bazyn, Tim; Krier, Herman; Glumac, Nick Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 31, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2006.07.161	journal	January 2007
The effect of stoichiometry on the combustion behavior of a nanoscale Al/MoO3 thermite Dutro, G. M.; Yetter, R. A.; Risha, G. A. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 32, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2008.07.028	journal	January 2009
Effects of fuel and oxidizer particle dimensions on the propagation of aluminum containing thermites Weismiller, M. R.; Malchi, J. Y.; Lee, J. G. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol. 33, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2010.06.104	journal	January 2011
Electrospun Nanofiber-Based Thermite Textiles and their Reactive Properties Yan, Shi; Jian, Guoqiang; Zachariah, Michael R. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 4, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1021/am3021125	journal	November 2012
Density of Superheated and Undercooled Liquid Alumina by a Contactless Method Glorieux, B.; Millot, F.; Rifflet, J. -C. International Journal of Thermophysics, Vol. 20, Issue 4, p. 1085-1094 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022650703233	journal	January 1999
NIH Image to ImageJ: 25 years of image analysis Schneider, Caroline A.; Rasband, Wayne S.; Eliceiri, Kevin W. Nature Methods, Vol. 9, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.2089	journal	June 2012
Combustion velocities and propagation mechanisms of metastable interstitial composites Bockmon, B. S.; Pantoya, M. L.; Son, S. F. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 98, Issue 6, Article No. 064903 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2058175	journal	September 2005
In situ microscopy of rapidly heated nano-Al and nano-Al/WO3 thermites Sullivan, Kyle T.; Chiou, Wen-An; Fiore, Richard Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 97, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3490752	journal	September 2010
Reflected Shock Ignition and Combustion of Aluminum and Nanocomposite Thermite Powders Bazyn, T.; Glumac*, N.; Krier, H. Combustion Science and Technology, Vol. 179, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/00102200600637261	journal	March 2007
Ignition and Combustion Characteristics of Nanoscale Al/AgIO ₃ : A Potential Energetic Biocidal System Sullivan, K. T.; Piekiel, N. W.; Chowdhury, S. Combustion Science and Technology, Vol. 183, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/00102202.2010.496378	journal	December 2010
Modes of Ignition of Powder Layers of Nanocomposite Thermites by Electrostatic Discharge Monk, I.; Schoenitz, M.; Dreizin, E. L. Journal of Energetic Materials, Vol. 35, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1080/07370652.2016.1150366	journal	April 2016
Control of nanoenergetics through organized microstructures Parimi, Venkata Sharat; Tadigadapa, Srinivas A.; Yetter, Richard A. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, Vol. 22, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/22/5/055011	journal	April 2012
Reaction Propagation of Four Nanoscale Energetic Composites (Al/MoO3, Al/WO3, Al/CuO, and B12O3) Sanders, V. Eric; Asay, Blaine W.; Foley, Timothy J. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 23, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.26089	journal	July 2007
Effect of Bulk Density on Reaction Propagation in Nanothermites and Micron Thermites Pantoya, Michelle L.; Levitas, Valery I.; Granier, John J. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 25, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.36436	journal	March 2009
Simultaneous Pressure and Optical Measurements of Nanoaluminum Thermites: Investigating the Reaction Mechanism Sullivan, K.; Zachariah, M. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 26, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.45834	journal	May 2010
Combustion Performance of Several Nanosilicon-Based Nanoenergetics Mason, B. Aaron; Groven, Lori J.; Son, Steven F. Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 29, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B34902	journal	November 2013

Cited By (2)

Designer Direct Ink Write 3D‐Printed Thermites with Tunable Energy Release Rates Wainwright, Elliot R.; Sullivan, Kyle T.; Grapes, Michael D. Advanced Engineering Materials, Vol. 22, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.201901196	journal	December 2019
Designer Direct Ink Write 3D‐Printed Thermites with Tunable Energy Release Rates Wainwright, Elliot R.; Sullivan, Kyle T.; Grapes, Michael D. Advanced Engineering Materials, Vol. 22, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202070026	journal	June 2020

Similar Records

Thermal conductivity of consolidated Al/Cu/sub 2/O thermites

Technical Report · 1980 · OSTI ID:5313703

Miller, G D; Haws, L D

Aluminum/cuprous oxide thermite

Technical Report · 1982 · OSTI ID:5433671

Shapiro, A B; Gressmann, R

In Situ Imaging of Particle Formation and Dynamics in Reactive Material Deflagrations

Technical Report · 2016 · OSTI ID:1342010

Sullivan, Kyle T.

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Title: In situ observations of reacting Al/Fe2O3 thermite: Relating dynamic particle size to macroscopic burn time

Citation Formats

References (29)

Cited By (2)

Similar Records

Related Subjects

Title: In situ observations of reacting Al/Fe₂O₃ thermite: Relating dynamic particle size to macroscopic burn time