NANOCOMPOSITES: FOR UNDERWATER DEFLAGRATION

Nanometer aluminum fuel particles demonstrate orders of magnitude higher ignition sensitivity and reactivity than micrometer aluminum particles. This enhanced ignition sensitivity could enable a submerged reaction to propagate and react to completion without quenching. Energetic composites consisting of micrometer Al fuel particles cannot react submerged because too much energy from the reaction is lost to the surrounding water, causing the reactants to quench. However, Al nanoparticles can be synthesized with significantly higher surface-area-to-volume ratios that enable them to exhibit new and unique combustion properties that are much improved over their micron scale counterparts.