The effects of bimodal aluminum with ultrafine aluminum on the burning rates of solid propellants
Burning rates were measured for aluminized composite propellants with different aluminum (Al) sizes(monomodal distribution) and with bimodal Al distributions containing various amounts of ultrafine Al (UFAl). Enhanced rates were found for fine Al, with the enhancement increases for reduced Al size. The fine Al also burned in an intense region very close to the propellant surface, suggesting improved heat feedback in the form of radiation and conduction. Major modification of the burning rate could be achieved with moderate amounts of UFAl. Results obtained with various fine oxidizer particle sizes and mass fractions suggest that the degree of burning-rate modification depends on the ability to ignite the UFAl, for example, with leading-edge flames, as well as the availability of oxidizer near the Al-containing regions of the propellant.
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The incomplete combustion of aluminum in solid propellants leads to a low-level energy release. As a promising strategy, fuel/oxidizer interfacial control is proved to be effective for enhancing their reaction efficiency and less environmental dependence. In this paper, in order to investigate the effect of interfacial control on the reaction efficiency of Al and HMX, spherical Al@HMX composites with polydopamine as interfacial layer were prepared via spray-drying technique. The morphology, structure, heat of reaction, thermal stability, condensed/gaseous products, decomposition kinetics as well as the ignition performance of the composites under the catalytic effects of graphene-based carbohydrazide complexes (GO-CHZ-M, M = Co2+ or Ni2+) were comprehensively investigated. Results showed that the heat of reaction of Al@HMX increased by 220 J g−1 compared to corresponding physical mixture (5655 J g−1), which was further increased to 6210 J g−1 in presence of minor GO-CHZ-Co (1 wt%) as a catalyst. Moreover, the thermal decomposition temperature of HMX was slightly increased in Al@HMX composites. Under the synergy of interfacial control and GO-based catalysts, the enhanced reaction efficiency of Al with HMX was observed and verified by a shorter ignition delay time (reduced from 126 to 71 ms) and the condensed products analysis, with decreasing unreacted Al content and increasing content of submicron-sized particles. Gaseous products investigation illustrated that there were two main decomposition pathways for Al@HMX composites: the CN scission (dominant) and NN scission, where the latter could be enhanced by GO-CHZ-M catalysts.
Aluminum is an important additive in solid propellants used to improve energy efficiency, but agglomeration of aluminum particles can reduce the specific impulse of the engine, increase two-phase flow losses and cause ablation of the adiabatic layer. Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanism of formation, mode of movement and particle size characteristics of aluminum agglomerates in solid propellants to study the inhibition of agglomeration. In this paper, a three-dimensional numerical simulation of aluminum particle agglomeration near the burning surface of solid propellants was conducted using the discrete unit method based on direct tracking calculations of the detailed motion of individual particles. The model considered physical processes such as burning surface motion, aluminum particle precipitation, turbulent pulsation and the heating and melting of aluminum particle and used a grid-based contact detection method to accelerate the computational process. The agglomeration process of a solid propellant with specific formulation was experimentally investigated. Aluminum particle aggregates underwent splitting, and the final aluminum particle agglomerates were spherical droplets with typical structure. The agglomeration process of this propellant was investigated by means of a simulation. The accuracy of the agglomeration model was verified by comparing the results of the model for the agglomeration process and the shape and size distribution of agglomerates with available experimental data. Compared with the experimental results, the deviations of the equivalent particle sizes of agglomerates D10, D50, D90, D4,3, and D3,2 obtained by using the simulation results were 6.3%, 6.3%, 9.4%, 7.5% and 6.7%, respectively. The aluminum particle agglomeration model established in this paper can predict the particle size distribution of aluminum agglomerates near the burning surface of solid propellants. The model was also used to further investigate the effects of aluminum particle content, ammonium perchlorate (AP) particle size and environmental pressure on aluminum particle agglomeration. Increasing the aluminum content or AP particle size aggravated aluminum particle agglomeration, whereas increasing pressure weakened it.
Combustion and agglomeration characteristics of aluminized propellants containing Al/CuO/PVDF metastable intermolecular composites: A highly adjustable functional catalyst
2022, Combustion and FlameIn this experimental study, we explore how the combustion and agglomeration characteristics of solid propellants can be modified by replacing aluminum with ternary Al/CuO/PVDF(Polyvinylidene Fluoride) metastable intermolecular composites (MICs). Using thermogravimetric−differential scanning calorimetry, a laser ignition setup, and a high-pressure propellant combustion system, we examine the thermal reactivity, ignition behavior, burning rate, agglomeration, and condensed combustion products of various MICs-inclusion propellants. We find that the use of ternary Al/CuO/PVDF MICs can decrease the onset temperature and increase the oxidation efficiency of Al, as compared with common binary MICs. The ratio of CuO/PVDF is found to have a strong effect on the combustion intensity of the metallic powders, but only a weak effect on their ignition delay. Higher proportion of PVDF is found to have a negative effect on the combustion rate. Specifically, the combustion intensity is found to decrease first and then increase as the PVDF content increases. The exothermic Al/CuO reaction is found to alter the heat transfer of the condensed layer on the propellant surface, while PVDF plays a critical role in the thermal feedback of the gaseous reaction. When combined, these two factors lead to a ± 30% variation in the propellant burning rate. Furthermore, ternary MICs are found to reduce agglomeration during propellant combustion. The two optimal formulations are 2.5 wt.% CuO/2.5 wt.% PVDF and 3.5 wt.% CuO/1.5 wt.% PVDF. The use of these formulations is found to decrease the mean particle size of the condensed combustion products to only 11 μm, as compared with 76 μm for the original Al-inclusion propellant. High-speed microscope images reveal the existence of crack phenomena in the pockets surrounding the AP particles on the burning surface due to the Al/CuO reaction, as well as the floccule breakup mechanism of Al aggregates in the presence of PVDF, both of which reduce agglomeration. Overall, this study shows that replacing Al with ternary Al/CuO/PVDF MICs has significant effects on the agglomeration, combustion and ignition features of aluminized propellants. The findings of this study can be used to aid the development of highly adjustable functional catalysts for solid propellants.
Study on the combustion performance of nano/micro-sized aluminum powders regulated by polydopamine interface
2022, Combustion and FlameAluminum powder with a high specific impulse, high stability, and adjustable reactivity is widely used in the aerospace field. However, most current research focuses on the single sized nano-(n) or micro (µ)-aluminum (Al) powders. The synergistic effect between multi-scale Al powders was ignored. In this paper, firstly, the n-µAl powders were modified by polydopamine (PDA) as the interface layer, then they were further modified and encapsulated by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and ammonium perchlorate (AP). The effects of PDA interface structure and fluoride compounds on the combustion performance and agglomeration of Al were studied in the lean oxygen environment. The results show that the ration methods of PDA-modified nAl mixed with µAl yields satisfactory results. The thickness of PDA interface layer on the surface of nAl powder is positively associated with the concentration of mixed solution of dopamine hydrochloride. The PDA interface layer not only regulates the thermal reactivity of modified sample by reducing the decomposition temperature and rate of AP, but also has a significant impact on the flame diffusion and combustion intensity. The synergistic effect of PDA interface layer, PTFE, and n-µAl powders can significantly inhibit the agglomeration of Al particles during combustion.
In this paper, a group of novel intermetallic metastable composites Al/Co@AP has been designed, and three methods including ultrasonic dispersion, mechanical grinding and spray-drying have been attempted for their preparation. The latter one has demonstrated to be the most appropriate means, by which the core–shell structured Al/Co@AP with desired properties could be successfully obtained. The thermal reactivity of Al/Co/AP composites prepared differently has been investigated and compared by TG/DSC technique. It has been shown that the heat release rate of AP in DSC curve was largely increased in the presence of Al/Co when spray-drying technique was used, which may be attributed to the increased nuclear site by the intimate contact. The initial reaction temperature of AP in Al/Co@AP was decreased by 7.8 °C and the heat releases by the thermal decomposition of AP and the intermetallic reaction between Al and Co were enhanced by 52.6 % and 67.7% in comparison with that of pure AP and Al/Co. The types of major gaseous products of Al/Co@AP are almost identical to that of pure AP, which include HCl, H2O, N2O and NO2. However, the concentrations of NO2 and N2O in gaseous products for Al/Co@AP are lower than that observed for pure AP, which may be due to the partial consumption of N element by the reaction of Al with acidic substance (HNO3) decomposed from AP. In addition, the AP in Al/Co@AP composite decomposes in one-step with the apparent activation energy (Ea) of 98.8 kJ·cm−3. The decomposition process of the AP in Al/Co@AP composite follows two-dimensional nucleation and growth model(A2), whereas the pure AP follows different physical models, which are close to three-dimensional nucleation and growth, chain scission and phase boundary-controlled reaction (contracting area) models. The intermetallic reaction between Al and Co in Al/Co@AP is merged into one-step following the A2 physical model.
Laser fragmentation of aluminum nanoparticles in liquid isopropanol
2021, Chemical Physics LettersLaser fragmentation of Al nanoparticles in liquid isopropanol is experimentally studied. Nanoparticles are characterized by Transmission Electron Microscopy and measuring disk centrifuge. As the result, the size of Al nanoparticles is reduced from more than 100 nm down to 10 nm. These nanoparticles are considered as additives to liquid hydrocarbon fuels.