Tuning the reactivity of Al–Ni by fine coating of halogen-containing energetic composites

In this paper, various core-shell structured Al–[email protected] composites have been prepared by a spray-drying technique. The involved ECs refer to the energetic composites (ECs) of ammonium perchlorate/nitrocellulose (AP/NC, NA) and polyvinylidene fluoride/hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (PVDF/CL-20, PC). Two Al–Ni mixtures were prepared at atomic ratios of 1:1 and 1:3 and named as Al/Ni and Al/3Ni, respectively. The thermal reactivity and combustion behaviors of Al–[email protected] composites have been comprehensively investigated. Results showed that the reactivity and combustion performance of Al–Ni could be enhanced by introducing both NA and PC energetic composites. Among which the Al/[email protected] composite exhibited higher reactivity and improved combustion performance. The measured flame propagation rate (v = 20.6 mm/s), average combustion wave temperature (Tmax = 1567.0 °C) and maximum temperature rise rate (γt = 1633.6 °C/s) of Al/[email protected] are higher than that of the Al/Ni (v = 15.8 mm/s, Tmax = 858.0 °C, and γt = 143.5 °C/s). The enhancement in combustion properties could be due to presence of the acidic gaseous products from ECs, which could etch the Al2O3 shell on the surface of Al particles, and make the inner active Al to be easier transported, so that an intimate and faster intermetallic reaction between Al and Ni would be realized. Furthermore, the morphologies and chemical compositions of the condensed combustion products (CCPs) of Al–[email protected] composites were found to be different depending on the types of ECs. The compositions of CCPs are dominated with the Al–Ni intermetallics, combining with a trace amount of Al5O6N and Al2O3.