Piezoelectric Ignition of Nanocomposite Energetic Materials
Abstract
Piezoelectric initiators are a unique form of ignition for energetic material because the current and voltage are tied together by impact loading on the crystal. This study examines the ignition response of an energetic composite composed of aluminum (Al) and molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) nano-powders to the arc generated from a lead zirconate and lead titanate (PZT) piezocrystal. The mechanical stimuli used to activate the piezocrystal varied to assess ignition voltage, power, and delay time of Al-MoO3 for a range of bulk powder densities. Results show a high dielectric strength leads to faster ignition times because of the higher voltage delivered to the energetic. Ignition delay is under 0.4 ms, which is faster than observed with thermal or shock ignition. Electric ignition of composite energetic materials is a strong function of inter-particle connectivity and thus the role of bulk density on ESD ignition sensitivity is a focus of this study. Results show that the ignition delay times are dependent on the powder bulk density with an optimum bulk density of 50%. Packing fractions and electrical conductivity were analyzed and aid in explaining the resulting ignition behavior as a function of bulk density.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA597296
Entities
People
- Andreas A. Neuber
- Daniel Prentice
- Eric Collins
- Michael Daniels
- Michelle L. Pantoya
Organizations
- Texas Tech University