Effect of phase distribution on reaction behaviors of PTFE/AL reactive materials

The polytetrafluoroethylene/aluminum (PTFE/Al) reactive material is one of the new energetic structural material containing good structural strength and high energy density. However, limited by traditional preparation methods, it is difficult to get uniform microstructure, while the presence of agglomeration which decreased the contact area between oxidizer and fuel would limit the reaction efficiency. In the paper, we prepared two kinds of Al particles with different particle size, and demonstrated two fabricated methods to adjust the distribution of phase, thus achieving the goal to control the reaction rate and extent of reaction. Thermal characteristics, reaction heat, specific volume of explosive, and reaction processes under high speed impact were measured to evaluate the effect of phase distribution on reactive characteristics of PTFE/Al reactive material. In comparison with the material fabricated from traditional method, the material containing uniform distribution of phase exhibited a higher reaction efficiency, bigger explosive specific volume, and longer duration of the reaction under impact.