Dynamic measurements of electrical conductivity in metastable intermolecular composites

Abstract

Metastable intermolecular composite (MIC) materials are comprised of a mixture of oxidizer and fuel with particle sizes in the nanometer range. Dynamic electrical conductivity measurements have been performed on a reacting MIC material. Simultaneous optical measurements of the wavefront position have shown that the reaction and conduction fronts are coincident within 160μm. It has been observed that MICs, like high explosives, are insulators before reaction is initiated. Once reaction is induced, there is a conduction zone that corresponds with the reaction zone behind the reaction front. Unlike detonating high explosives (HEs) where the conductivity profile is represented by an initial peak followed by an exponential decay of conductivity, the MIC conductivity profile is a gradual, irregular ramp which increases from zero over many microseconds. This supports other studies that show the MIC reaction process to be significantly different from detonating HEs. Static measurements of conductivity of pressed MIC pellets suggest that the electrical conduction is associated with chemical reaction in the MIC and not compaction effects alone.