Nanostructured Aluminum-Fluorocarbon Particles for Energetic Applications

Metal-fluorocarbon energetics have been considered in a number of energetic applications. Aluminum-fluorocarbon mixtures are of particular interest due to the high exothermicity of aluminum fluorination. Like many heterogenous energetics, producing materials having desirable reaction rates and ignitability often requires the reduction of diffusion distances, which can be accomplished by mechanical activation (MA). In this ongoing work, we report the modification of aluminum by inclusion of fluorocarbons by MA of micrometer aluminum and fluorocarbon mixtures. The morphological characteristics of composites made using high and low energy ball milling will be discussed. In addition, we characterize ignition and combustion of the composite particles using differential scanning calorimetry, oxygen calorimetry, simple flame tests, camera flash ignition, and other high heating rate experiments. Thermal characterization shows MA Al-fluorocarbon composites exhibit drastically modified heating and ignition behavior that are similar to those of nanoparticle physical mixtures for some MA composites, ignition via camera flash is possible.