Shock-induced chemical reactions in titanium–silicon powder mixtures of different morphologies: Time-resolved pressure measurements and materials analysis

Abstract

The response of porous titanium (Ti) and silicon (Si) powder mixtures with small, medium, and coarse particle morphologies is studied under high-pressure shock loading, employing postshock materials analysis as well as nanosecond, time-resolved pressure measurements. The objective of the work was to provide an experimental basis for development of models describing shock-induced solid-state chemistry. The time-resolved measurements of stress pulses obtained with piezoelectric polymer (poly-vinyl-di-flouride) pressure gauges provided extraordinary sensitivity for determination of rate-dependent shock processes. Both techniques showed clear evidence for shock-induced chemical reactions in medium-morphology powders, while fine and coarse powders showed no evidence for reaction. It was observed that the medium-morphology mixtures experience simultaneous plastic deformation of both Ti and Si particles. Fine morphology powders show particle agglomeration, while coarse Si powders undergo extensive fracture and entrapment within the plastically deformed Ti; such processes decrease the propensity for initiation of shock-induced reactions. The change of deformation mode between fracture and plastic deformation in Si powders of different morphologies is a particularly critical observation. Such a behavior reveals the overriding influence of the shock-induced, viscoplastic deformation and fracture response, which controls the mechanochemical nature of shock-induced solid-state chemistry. The present work in conjunction with our prior studies, demonstrates that the initiation of chemical reactions in shock compression of powders is controlled by solid-state mechanochemical processes, and cannot be qualitatively or quantitatively described by thermochemical models.