Engineering Commons^™

Effect Of Process Control Agents Used In Mechanochemical Synthesis On Properties Of The Prepared Composite Reactive Materials, Mehnaz Mursalat

Dissertations

The study explores synthesis and reactivity of new reactive materials prepared by ball milling. High-energy ball milling became a ubiquitous mechano-chemical tool to manufacture diverse powders, from pharmaceuticals or foods to alloys to new solid rocket propellants. It enabled a dramatic expansion of the range of chemical compositions obtainable; however, it did not so far, allowed one to fine-tune morphology or interfaces in the generated powders. It is shown in this work how different process control agents (PCAs) can serve to tune the powder morphology and reactivity. Commonly used as lubricants and cooling agents during milling, liquid PCAs can be …

Fluorine-Based Inorganic Oxidizers For Use In Metal-Based Reactive Materials, Siva Kumar Valluri

Dissertations

This work explores inorganic fluorides as oxidizers for fuel-rich reactive materials. A preliminary assessment of metal fluorides accounting for their enthalpy of formation points to bismuth (III) fluoride, BiF3 and cobalt (II) fluoride, CoF2 as oxidizers of interest. Initially, composite powders of aluminum with chosen fluorides at 50-50 wt. % are prepared by arrested reactive milling. Despite an increase in reactivity and lowtemperature ignition, the prepared composite powders are insensitive to initiation by electro-static discharge (ESD), making them attractive alternative to analogous thermites having very high ESD sensitivity. In air, the composite powder particles burn faster than reference aluminum particles …

Improving Boron For Combustion Applications, Kerri-Lee Annique Chintersingh

Dissertations

Boron has received much attention as a potential additive to explosives and propellants due to its high theoretical gravimetric and volumetric heating values. The challenge, however, is that boron particles tend to agglomerate, have lengthy ignition delays and very low combustion rates. Prior research indicates that boron’s long ignition delays are due to its inhibiting naturally occurring oxide layer, impeding the diffusion of reactants for oxidation. For combustion, current studies report that boron particles have two consecutive stages, but the actual reaction mechanism is poorly understood. Despite many years of relevant research, quantitative combustion data on micron-sized boron particles are …

Kinetic Study Of Free Radical-Radical Reactions Of Combustion Importance At Elevated Pressures, Chao Yan

Dissertations

Combustion mechanisms consist of hundreds elementary reactions of free radicals and stable molecules. Radical-radical elementary reactions play important roles due to the high concentration in which free radicals are accumulated in combustion systems. Radical-radical reactions are typically multi-channel. Some of the channels might be of chain propagation or even chain branching nature, while other channels might be of chain termination nature. The relative importance of different channels is pressure dependent. Compared to radical-molecule reactions, radical-radical reactions are much less studied. This is due to the difficulties of well characterized quantitative production of radical species as well as due to the …

Combustion Of Nanocomposite Thermite Powders, Ian Monk

Dissertations

This work investigates combustion of nanocomposite thermite powders prepared by arrested reactive milling (ARM). The focus is on how ARM as a top-down approach to nano-thermite building generating fully-dense nanocomposite particles with dimensions of 1-100 µm affects the rates and mechanism of their combustion. A variety of thermites are milled using both aluminum and zirconium as fuels combined with several oxidizers (WoO₃, MoO₃, CuO, Fe₂O₃, and Bi₂O₃). The powders are ignited using both an electrostatic discharge (ESD) and a CO₂ laser beam.

A range of parameters vary …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Metal-Based Reactive Powders, Yasmine Aly

Dissertations

Aluminum added to propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics, boosts their energy density. Different approaches were investigated that could shorten aluminum ignition delays, increase combustion rates, and decrease the tendency of aluminum droplets to agglomerate. Here, Al-based reactive, mechanically milled materials are prepared and characterized.

For powders with Fe, Ni, or Zn additives, the particles consist of an aluminum matrix and inclusions of Fe, Ni, or Zn comprising 10 at % of the bulk composition. For additives of Ni and Zn, only short milling times can be used to prepare composites; intermetallic phases form at longer milling times. Thermogravimetric analysis shows selective …

Metal Based Reactive Nanocomposites Prepared By Cryomilling, Shasha Zhang

Dissertations

Aluminum is one of the most commonly used metal fuel additives for propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics. Recent interest has been focused on replacements for aluminum as fuel additives to achieve higher combustion temperatures and stronger pressure pulses for applications in advanced munitions systems. Two applications are addressed in this work. In the applications for explosives designed to defeat stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, it is of interest to develop multifunctional materials combining the high energy density of metal fuels with the biocidal activity of halogens. A challenge of this effort is to design and prepare powder-like Al-I2 materials which …

Combustion Of Aerosolized Spherical Aluminum Powders And Flakes In Air, Binu Zacharia Eapen

Theses

Combustion rates and completeness of aerosolized spherical aluminum powders and flakes are compared using constant volume explosion experiments. The comparison of particles and flake sizes was made based on their specific surface areas determined using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method and respective "BET diameters". It is observed that the rates of pressure rise and rates of flame propagation were higher for aluminum powders with BET diameters of about 2 to 5 μm compared to aluminum flakes for which the BET diameters were under 1 μm In agreement with the flame propagation rates, the overall completeness of combustion was also higher for …

Elementary, Pressure Dependent Model For Combustion Of C1, C2 And Nitrogen Containing Hydrocarbons : Operation Of A Pilot Scale Incinerator And Model Comparison, Chad Sheng

Dissertations

A 140000 BTU/hr pilot scale incinerator has been constructed, tested and run; and an online sampling train capable of taking in situ data has been established. The continuous on-line analytical instruments include a CO analyzer, an NO/NOx analyzer and an 02 analyzer. In addition, two gas chromatographs with flame ionization detector are used to determine CH4, C2H2 + C2H4 and total hydrocarbon concentrations. Typical operating conditions are at an average 02 concentration of 6 - 8 %. The NO concentration ranged from 100 - 200 ppm. Approximately I ppm of CH.4 is also present at steady state operations.

The kinetic …

Parametric Study Of Heavy Metal Partitioning In A Pilot Scale Incinerator Burning Simulated Municipal Solid Waste, Sukrut S. Thipse

Dissertations

Incineration is a combustion process used to convert toxic waste to benign gases and residue in presence of excess air. The products of the incineration process are bottom ash, fly ash and the flue gas. Most of the metal-based phases formed in incineration are toxic and their emissions need to be strictly controlled. Therefore, behavior of metal species during incineration must be well understood. Such understanding is possible based on the experimental identification of the metal phases formed in the waste combustion and determination of their concentration in various incineration products.

A pilot-scale incinerator of 140,000 Btu/hr capacity was constructed, …

Entrance Effects For Short Catalytic Combustion Monoliths, Dong Dai

Theses

Catalytic combustion/incineration is becoming increasingly important in modern industrial processes. This thesis work investigates the importance of heat and mass transfer entrance effects in short catalytic combustion monoliths, and includes these effects in an engineering model. Consideration is limited to laminar-flow heat and mass transfer in a circular tube, in which Prandtl number is close to unity, as is the case for air. Thermal, mass and velocity boundary layer growths are considered with inlet conditions assumed uniform at a monolith bed entrance. Conservation equations are solved assuming laminar, steady-state flow, with constant wall temperature, and negligible axial diffusion of heat …