Experimental investigation of high temperature oxidation during self-propagating reaction in Zr/Al reactive multilayer films

Abstract

High temperature oxidation behavior during a fast self-propagating reaction is reported in binary 1Zr/1Al reactive multilayer films. Magnetron sputtered deposited freestanding Zr/Al films with different bilayer thicknesses were investigated experimentally to characterize the oxidation behavior during a self-propagating reaction, ignited by an electrical arc. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of reacted film, ignited in air indicates the formation of oxides of both Zr and Al besides intermetallic compounds. In argon 4.6 atmosphere, oxidation has been reduced, but it is also evident that a very small amount of only ZrO2 forms. The temperature profiles measured by a high-speed two-color pyrometer exhibit the temperature plateau after reaching the maximum temperature. The static temperatures in plateau vary from 1475 °C to 1588 °C depending on bilayer thicknesses. This temperature plateau becomes more pronounced with increasing bilayer thickness. However, an extended time duration at high temperature plateau characterizes the significant oxidation in air during a self-propagating reaction, which can influence reaction properties and thus broaden the scope of applications.