Chapter Two - Fast-Reacting Nanocomposite Energetic Materials: Synthesis and Combustion Characterization

Abstract

Energetic composites are mixtures of solid fuel and oxidizer particles that when combined offer higher calorific output than monomolecular explosives. The composites traditionally deliver energy as diffusion-limited reactions, and thus their power available from reaction is much smaller than powerful explosive. Yet, technology has developed advanced particle synthesis, and nanoparticles have become more readily available. The advent of nanoparticle fuels and oxidizers enables traditionally diffusive controlled reactions to transition toward kinetically dominant reactions. This transition results in faster reacting formulations that show promise of harnessing the power equivalent to a monomolecular explosive but packaged as discretely separate fuel and oxidizer composites.