Explosion characteristics and mechanism of aluminum-reduced graphene oxide composite powder

Abstract

Aluminum-based fuel in energetic formulations has favorable ignition and combustion characteristics, but it is also prone to an explosion. To ensure safe production and prevent accident, explosion characteristics and the mechanism of aluminum-reduced graphene oxide (Al-RGO) composite were investigated. Thermal analysis showed that after adding RGO, the activation energy of Al dust in the initial oxidation stage decreased from 241.5 kJ/mol to 90.0 kJ/mol. With the addition of 5 wt% RGO, PTFE, and Ni inclusions, the minimum explosible concentration increased by 40%, 10%, and 25%, the maximum explosion pressure increased by 20.8%, 13.8%, and 7.5%, respectively. Moreover, the addition of RGO could significantly improve the flame propagation speed and oxidation efficiency of aluminum but with a slight effect on the burning time of single Al particles. XPS results revealed that the major explosion product of Al-RGO is Al2O3. Based on these results, the explosion mechanism of Al-RGO was discussed in-depth.