Reaction characteristics of Al–Mg alloy fuels with heterogeneous oxidation shell structures

Al–Mg alloy fuels are the most widely used Al-based alloy fuel in energetic material systems owing to their low ignition temperature and fast reaction. However, their surface oxide layer structure and oxidation, ignition, and combustion mechanisms differ from those of single-metal fuels. Furthermore, insufficient information has been reported on Al–Mg alloy fuels. In this study, Al–Mg alloy fuels were formed by introducing Mg into Al via centrifugal atomization. The microstructure and thermal reaction characteristics of the Al–Mg alloy fuel were evaluated. The ignition and combustion characteristics of the Al–Mg alloy fuels were monitored via single-particle ignition. When the Mg content was increased from 5 % to 40 %, a typical core–shell structure formed, the oxide shell thickness increased from 4.50 to 6.41 nm, and the content of the internal alloy compounds gradually increased. The surfaces of the Al–Mg alloy fuel particles with different Mg contents exhibited heterogeneous oxidation shells. Compared to Al powder, the Al–Mg alloy fuel exhibited better melting and oxidation peak temperatures and higher oxidation weight gain. As the Mg content was increased, the combustion of the Al–Mg alloy fuel intensified with more severe microexplosions and a shorter combustion time. The microexplosion of the Al–Mg alloy fuel was elucidated by theoretical calculations, and its combustion mechanism was proposed. The detailed description of the oxide layer structure, oxidation, and combustion of the Al–Mg alloy fuel provides a reliable explanation of its energy release mechanism in energetic material systems.