The Mechanical and Reaction Behavior of PTFE/Al/Fe2O3 under Impact and Quasi-Static Compression

Abstract

Quasi-static compression and drop-weight test were used to characterize the mechanical and reaction behavior of PTFE/Al/Fe2O3 composites. Two kinds of PTFE/Al/Fe2O3 composites were prepared with different mass of PTFE, and the reaction phenomenon and stress-strain curves were recorded; the residuals after reaction were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that, under quasi-static compression condition, the strength of the materials is increased (from 37.1 Mpa to 77.2 Mpa) with the increase of PTFE, and the reaction phenomenon occurred only in materials with high PTFE content. XRD analysis showed that the reaction between Al and Fe2O3 was not triggered with identical experimental conditions. In drop-weight tests, PTFE/Al/Fe2O3 specimens with low PTFE content were found to be more insensitive by high-speed photography, and a High Temperature Metal Slag Spray (HTMSS) phenomenon was observed in both kinds of PTFE/Al/Fe2O3 composites, indicating the existence of thermite reaction, which was confirmed by XRD. In PTFE/Al/Fe2O3 system, the reaction between PTFE and Al precedes the reaction between Al and Fe2O3.