Nanocomposites with Al and Ti binary fuels and potassium oxysalts for energetic applications

The ignition temperature and combustion behavior are key parameters for the performance of energetic nanocomposites. This article aims to obtain nanocomposites with low ignition temperature and high reactivity by incorporating titanium nanoparticles (nTi) to aluminum nanoparticles (nAl)-based thermites. The ignition temperature, reactivity, and combustion efficiency of Al/xTi/oxidizer composites were investigated via temperature-jump (T-jump), combustion test, and calorimeter. The results reveal that the ignition temperature of Al/xTi/oxidizer composites shifted down ~90 °C, ~140 °C, and ~220 °C by adding 50 mol.% nTi (in the fuel) into nAl/KClO₄, nAl/K₂S₂O₈, and nAl/KIO₄ respectively. The reactivity of nAl/K₂S₂O₈ and nAl/KIO₄ also increased by 50% after adding 30% nTi. However, the combustion efficiency of nAl-based energetic composites reduced with the increasing contents of nTi. This study demonstrates that Al/xTi/K₂S₂O₈ and Al/xTi/KIO₄ nanocomposites with low ignition temperature, high reactivity, and moderate combustion efficiency are good candidates for energetic applications.