Tailorable Energetic Behavior of Al/Ti/CuO Composites

Aluminum (Al)/Copper oxide (CuO) are mostly common thermites in energetic materials. However, the ignition and combustion of Al/CuO are constrained by the oxide shell coating on the Al core. Titanium (Ti) nanoparticles have been incorporated into Al/CuO system to tune their energetic behavior. The reactivity and combustion heat of Al/Ti/CuO ternary composites have been measured via combustion cell and calorimetry, respectively. The pressurization rate of Al/30% Ti/CuO (the molar percent of Ti in the fuel is 30%) and Al/70% Ti/CuO is 1 and 1.5 times greater than Al/CuO. Consequently, Ti nanoparticles are promising candidate for enhancinging the reactivity of Al/CuO thermites. The results also suggest that Ti nanoparticles could be employed as useful additive in Al-based thermites to tune their combustion behavior.