The Burning Rate of Energetic Films of Nanostructured Porous Silicon

✍ Scribed by Andrew Plummer; Valerian Kuznetsov; Timothy Joyner; Joe Shapter; Nicolas H. Voelcker

• Book ID: 104593868
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 565 KB
• Volume: 7
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1613-6810
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201101087

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

A systematic study of nanoenergetic films consisting of nanostructured porous silicon impregnated with sodium perchlorate is carried out. The explosive properties of these films are investigated as a function of thickness, porosity, and confinement. The films' burning rates are investigated using fiber‐optic velocity probes, demonstrating that flame‐front velocities vary between approximately 1 and 500 m s^−1^ and are very sensitive to the films' structural characteristics. Analysis of the flame profile by high‐speed video is also presented, suggesting that the reaction type is a deflagration rather than a detonation. A strong plume of flame is emitted from the surface, indicating the potential for this material to perform useful work either as an initiator or as a propellant. The shape of the flame front transitioned from an inverted V at thin‐film thicknesses to a neat square‐shaped front once the material became self‐confining at 50 μm.