Abstract
Recent advances in nanostructured fuels and oxidizers may lead to high-performance energetic materials for propulsion, but these nanoparticulates present serious challenges due to their inherent instability and safety hazards and difficulty of manufacture. In this paper, we develop an alternate route, the use of nanoscale metal-oxides to catalyze reactions between micrometer-scale energetic constituents. Methods to synthesize TiO2-based nanoparticles that are highly active toward energetic reactions and effectively incorporate them into energetic composites are reported. Activity was maximized by tuning the physical and chemical properties of the nano-TiO2 dispersion in the composite. An 81% increase in combustion rate was achieved with a nanoparticle loading of 1 wt %, making energetically active nano-TiO2 a viable material for advanced propulsion, without the hazards and difficulties of competing technologies.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
