Combustion and heat release characteristics of micron aluminum with extremely large specific surface area obtained by L-malic acid surface corrosion.

Aluminum (Al) particles are widely used in propellants, thermite and pyrotechnics. However, commonly used micro Al has drawbacks such as agglomeration, high ignition temperature and slow burning rate, making its energy potential not fully exploited in applications. Therefore, exploring pathways to enhance the combustion of Al particles has become the focus at present. Herein, L -malic acid (LMA) was used to corrode the surface of Al particles to obtain a sample (named LMAl) with an average specific surface area of 11.456 m2/g (corresponding to Al particles with a diameter of 194 nm). The particle size distribution of LMAl did not change significantly compared to pristine Al. The XPS results showed that a small amount of LMA and corrosion products remained on the surface of the LMAl particles. Thermal analysis tests showed that the thermal oxidation rate and efficiency of LMAl was dramatically higher than that of pristine Al. Compared with the pristine Al, the combustion characterization parameters of LMAl such as combustion intensity, ignition delay time, maximum combustion temperature, mass burning rate and combustion efficiency were all improved. This trend was maintained after blending the ammonium perchlorate (AP). The condensed combustion products (CCPs) of Al revealed a large number of agglomerates and unburned Al particles. While many broken particles and tentacle-like structures were found in the CCPs of LMAl. Overall, compared to Al, the combustion of LMAl is significantly enhanced. The thermal reaction and combustion behaviors of the two are quite different. This study provides new insights into improving the ignition and combustion of Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]