Surface studies of an aluminum/cuprous oxide thermite mixture by x-ray photoelectron and Auger spectroscopies. I. Studies of aluminum
Thermite is a name given to a mixture of powdered metal and a metallic oxide. The thermite under examination was a powdered mixture of aluminum metal and cuprous oxide in a mole ratio of 2:3. The surface chemistries of the powdered aluminum and the thermite mixture were examined by the surface analysis techniques of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Surface characterization with XPS and AES found the presence of carbon and aluminum oxide on the aluminum reactant and mixtures. A surface oxide thickness of 9.8 A was measured for room temperature stored powdered aluminum metal. The aluminum oxide thickness on the aluminum powder was noted to be larger for room temperature aged thermite powder (10.5 A) and a thermite pressed pellet (22 A). All oxide thicknesses were found to be larger when aged in dry air or argon at an elevated temperature of 180/sup 0/C. The largest oxide thickness measured was 26 A. Carbon contaminant levels were measured and were found to decrease from 64 A for room temperature stored metal to 34 A for metal stored at 180/sup 0/C.
- Research Organization:
- Dayton Univ., OH (USA). Research Inst.; Dayton Univ., OH (USA). School of Engineering; Monsanto Research Corp., Miamisburg, OH (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-04-0053
- OSTI ID:
- 6036192
- Report Number(s):
- MLM-2627(OP); CONF-790207-6
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 10. symposium on explosives and pyrotechnics, San Francisco, CA, USA, 14 Feb 1979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ALUMINIUM
AUGER ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
COPPER OXIDES
BINARY MIXTURES
FILMS
THICKNESS
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
DIMENSIONS
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY
ELEMENTS
METALS
MIXTURES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
400201* - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties