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In order to study the microscopic reaction mechanism and kinetic model of Al/PTFE, a reactive force field (ReaxFF) was used to simulate the interface model of the Al/PTFE system with different oxide layer thicknesses (0 Å, 5 Å, 10 Å), and the thermochemical behavior of Al/PTFE at different heating rates was analyzed by simultaneous thermal analysis (TG-DSC). The results show that the thickness of the oxide layer has a significant effect on the reaction process of Al/PTFE. In the system with an oxide layer thickness of 5 Å, the compactness of the oxide layer changes due to thermal rearrangement, resulting in the diffusion of reactants (fluorine-containing substances) through the oxide layer into the Al core. The reaction mainly occurs between the oxide layer and the Al core. For the 10 Å oxide layer, the reaction only exists outside the interface of the oxide layer. With the movement of the oxygen ions in the oxide layer and the Al atoms in the Al core, the oxide layer moves to the Al core, which makes the reaction continue. By analyzing the reaction process of Al/PTFE, the mechanism function of Al/PTFE was obtained by combining the shrinkage volume model (R3 model) and the three-dimensional diffusion (D3 model). In addition, the activation energy of Al/PTFE was 258.8 kJ/mol and the pre-exponential factor was 2.495 × 1015 min−1. The research results have important theoretical significance and reference value for the in-depth understanding of the microscopic chemical reaction mechanism and the quantitative study of macroscopic energy release of Al/PTFE reactive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite concrete structures, commonly found in urban infrastructures, such as highways and runways, are pivotal research object in the protection field. To study the dynamic response of composite concrete structures subjected to reactive jet penetration coupled with an explosive effect, a full-scale damage experiment of composite structures under the action of 150 mm caliber shaped charges was performed, to derive the dynamic damage modes of different concrete thicknesses under the combined kinetic and chemical energy damage effects. The results indicated that under aluminum jet penetration, concrete layers exhibited minor funnel craters and penetration holes. However, concrete layers displayed a variety of damage modes, including central penetration holes, funnel craters, bulges, and radial/circumferential cracks when subjected to the PTFE/Al jet. The area of the funnel crater expanded as the thickness of the concrete increased, while the height of the bulge and the number of radial cracks decreased. The diameter of penetration holes increased by 76.9% and the area of funnel crater increased by 578% in comparison to Al jet penetration damage. A modified-RHT concrete model that reflected concrete tensile failure was established, utilizing AUTODYN. Segmented numerical simulations of damage behavior were performed using the FEM-SPH algorithm and a restart approach combined with reactive jet characteristics. The spatial distribution characteristic of the reactive jet and the relationship between kinetic penetration and explosion-enhanced damage were obtained by the simulation, which showed good concordance with the experimental results. This study provides important reference data and a theoretical basis for the design of composite concrete structures to resist penetration and explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the improvement of protection technology, the damage power of conventional penetrators has become increasingly inferior. Reactive material is a new type of energetic material, which has strong energy release capabilities under high-velocity-impact conditions. In this paper, the reactive materials were put into the penetrator, and its penetration characteristics were studied. First, the penetrator with enhanced lateral effect (PELE) projectile structure with better penetration capability was obtained by numerical simulation. Then, based on the established polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/Al reactive material reaction model, the numerical simulation and experimental research of the PELE projectile with a reactive inner core penetrating the target were carried out. The results show that the simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results, which verifies the confidence of the numerical simulation. The PELE projectile had a significant increase in power with the use of a truncated conical head and reactive materials. The residual velocity of the truncated cone PELE projectile increases by 8.41–21% over conventional PELE projectiles. Its damage range is 43% higher than that of conventional penetrators. The simulation method and the conclusions obtained in this paper can provide support and reference for further research on reactive materials and on effectively improving the damage power of the penetrator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the morphology characteristics of the PTFE/Al reactive shaped charge jet and the chemical reaction during the jet formation, PTFE/Al reactive liners with aluminum particle sizes of 5 μm and 100 μm were prepared. The parameters of the Johnson–Cook constitutive model of PTFE/Al reactive materials (RMs) were obtained through quasi-static compression experiments and SHPB (Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar) experiments. X-ray imaging technology was used to photograph the shape of reactive shaped charges jet at two different time points. The AUTODYN secondary development technology was used to simulate the jet formation, and the simulation results are compared with the experimental results. The results show that the simulation results are close to the experimental results, and the error is in the range of 4–8%. Through analysis, it is observed that the RMs reacted during the PTFE/Al reactive shaped charge jet formation, and due to the convergence of the inner layer of the liner during the jet formation, the chemical reaction of the jet is from inside to outside. Secondly, the particle size of aluminum powder has an influence on the chemical reaction and morphology of the jet. During the jet formation, there were fewer RMs reacted when the PTFE/Al reactive liners were prepared with 100 μm aluminum powder. Compared with 5 μm aluminum powder, when the aluminum powder is 100 μm, the morphology of the jet is more condensed, which is conducive to generating greater penetration depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research on PTFE-based reactive materials (RMs) mostly focuses on Al/PTFE RMs. To explore further possibilities of formulation, the reactive metal components in the RMs can be replaced. In this paper, Zr/PTFE and Ti/PTFE RMs were prepared by cold isostatic pressing and vacuum sintering. The static and dynamic compressive mechanical properties of Zr/PTFE and Ti/PTFE RMs were investigated at different strain rates. The results show that the introduction of zirconium powder and titanium powder can increase the strength of the material under dynamic loading. Meanwhile, a modified J-C model considering strain and strain rate coupling was proposed. The parameters of the modified J-C model of Zr/PTFE and Ti/PTFE RMs were determined, which can describe and predict plastic flow stress. To characterize the impact-induced reaction behavior of Zr/PTFE and Ti/PTFE RMs, a quasi-sealed test chamber was used to measure the over-pressure induced by the exothermic reaction. The energy release characteristics of both materials were more intense under the higher impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, and vinylidene fluoride- (THV) based reactive materials (RMs) was designed to improve their density and energy release efficiency. The mechanical performances, fracture mechanisms, thermal behavior, energy release behavior, and reaction energy of four types of RMs (26.5% Al/73.5% PTFE, 5.29% Al/80% W/14.71% PTFE, 62% Hf/38% THV, 88% Hf/12% THV) were systematically researched by conducting compressive tests, scanning electron microscope (SEM), differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric (DSC/TG) tests and ballistic experiments. The results show that the THV-based RMs have a unique strain softening effect, whereas the PTFE-based RMs have a remarkable strain strengthening effect, which is mainly caused by the different glass transition temperatures. Thermal analysis indicates that the THV-based RMs have more than one exothermic peak because of the complex component in THV. The energy release behavior of RMs is closely related to their mechanical properties, which could dominate the fragmentation behavior of materials. The introduction of tungsten (W) particles to PTFE RMs could not only enhance the density but also elevate the reaction threshold of RMs, whereas the reaction threshold of THV-based RMs is decreased when increasing Hf particles content. As such, under current conditions, the THV-based RMs (88% Hf/12% THV) with a high density of 7.83 g/cm3 are adapted to release a lot of energy in thin, confined spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/aluminum (Al)-based energetic material is a kind of energetic material with great application potential. In this research, the control of the shock-induced energy release characteristics of PTFE/Al-based energetic material by adding oxides (bismuth trioxide, copper oxide, molybdenum trioxide, and iron trioxide) was studied by experimentation and theoretical analysis. Ballistic impact experiments with impact velocity of 735~1290 m/s showed that the oxides controlled the energy release characteristics by the coupling of impact velocities and oxide characteristics. In these experiments, the overpressure characteristics, including the quasi-static overpressure peak, duration, and impulse, were used to characterize the energy release characteristics. It turned out that when the nominal impact velocity was 735 m/s, the quasi-static overpressure peak of PTFE/Al/MoO3 (0.1190 MPa) was 1.99 times higher than that of PTFE/Al (0.0598 MPa). Based on these experimental results, an analytical model was developed indicating that the apparent activation energy and impact shock pressure dominated the energy release characteristic of PTFE/Al/oxide. This controlling mechanism indicated that oxides enhanced the reaction after shock wave unloading, and the chemical and physical properties of the corresponding thermites also affected the energy release characteristics. These conclusions can guide the design of PTFE-based energetic materials, especially the application of oxides in PTFE-based reactive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive material (RM) is a special kind of energetic material that can react and release chemical energy under highly dynamic loads. However, its energy release behavior is limited by its own strength, showing unique unsustainable characteristics, which lack a theoretical description. In this paper, an impact-initiated chemical reaction model is proposed to describe the ignition and energy release behavior of Al/PTFE RM. The hotspot formation mechanism of pore collapse was first introduced to describe the decomposition process of PTFE. Material fragmentation and PTFE decomposition were used as ignition criteria. Then the reaction rate of the decomposition product with aluminum was calculated according to the gas-solid chemical reaction model. Finally, the reaction states of RM calculated by the model are compared and qualitatively consistent with the experimental results. The model provides insight into the thermal-mechanical-chemical responses and references for the numerical simulation of impact ignition and energy release behavior of RM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quasi-static tension tests, quasi-static compression tests and dynamic compression tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties, constitutive behaviors and failure criteria of aluminum-polytetrafluoroethylene-tungsten (Al-PTFE-W) reactive materials with W content from 20% to 80%. The analysis of the quasi-static test results indicated that the strength of the materials may be independent of the stress state and W content. However, the compression plasticity of the materials is significantly superior to its tension plasticity. W content has no obvious influence on the compression plasticity, while tension plasticity is extremely sensitive to W content. Dynamic compression test results demonstrated the strain rate strengthening effect and the thermal softening effect of the materials, yet the dynamic compression strengths and the strain rate sensitivities of the materials with different W content show no obvious difference. Based on the experimental results and numerical iteration, the Johnson–Cook constitutive (A, B, n, C and m) and failure parameters (D1~D5) were well determined. The research results will be useful for the numerical studies, design and application of reactive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/aluminum (Al) energetic materials with high-energy density have attracted extensive attention and have broad application prospects, but the low-energy release efficiency restricts their application. In this paper, oxide, bismuth trioxide (Bi2O3) or molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) are introduced into PTFE/Al to improve the chemical reaction performance of energetic materials. The pressurization characteristics of PTFE/Al/oxide as pressure generators are compared and analyzed. The experiments show that the significantly optimized quasi-static pressure peak, impulse, and energy release efficiency (0.162 MPa, 10.177 s·kPa, and 0.74) are achieved for PTFE/Al by adding 30 wt.% Bi2O3. On the other hand, the optimal parameter obtained by adding 10% MoO3 is 0.147 MPa, 9.184 s·kPa, and 0.68. Further, the mechanism of enhancing the energy release performance of PTFE/Al through oxide is revealed. The mechanism analysis shows that the shock-induced energy release performance of PTFE/Al energetic material is affected by the intensity of the shock wave and the chemical reaction extent of the material under the corresponding intensity. The oxide to PTFE/Al increases the intensity of the shock wave in the material, but the chemical reaction extent of the material decreases under the corresponding intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have used experimental research methods to conduct extensive research on the impact energy release behavior of Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)/Al reactive materials. However, in numerical simulation, PTFE/Al still lacks the calculation parameters of impact energy release behavior. In order to obtain the simulation parameters of PTFE/Al impact ignition, the Hill mixture law was used to calculate the material parameters of PTFE/Al (mass ratio 73.5/26.5), and according to the Hugoniot curve of PTFE/Al and the γ state equation, the JWL equation of state of a PTFE/Al unreacted substance and reaction product was fitted with a genetic algorithm. According to the PTFE/Al impact energy release experiment, the parameters of the PTFE/Al chemical kinetic equation were determined, and the parameters of the trinomial reaction rate equation were fitted. The obtained parameters were used in the simulation calculation in LS-dyna to predict the damage of the aluminum target plate under the impact of the PTFE/Al reactive fragments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the expansion phenomenon and reaction characteristics of an aluminum particle filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE/Al) reactive jet during the forming process, and to control the penetration and explosion coupling damage ability of the reactive jet, the temperature and density distribution of the reactive jet were investigated by combining numerical simulation and experimental study. Based on the platform of AUTODYN-3D code, the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) algorithm was used to study the evolution behaviors and distribution regularity of the morphology, density, temperature, and velocity field during the formation process of the reactive composite jet. The reaction characteristic in the forming process was revealed by combining the distribution of the high-temperature zone in numerical simulation and the Differential Scanning Calorimeter/Thermo-Gravimetry (DSC/TG) experiment results. The results show that the distribution of the high-temperature zone of the reactive composite jet is mainly concentrated in the jet tip and the axial direction, and the reactive composite jet tip reacts first. Combining the density distribution in the numerical simulation and the pulsed X-ray experimental results, the forming behavior of the reactive composite jet was analyzed. The results show that the reactive composite jet has an obvious expansion effect, accompanied by a significant decrease in the overall density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation process of reactive materials shaped charge is investigated by X-ray photographs and numerical simulation. In order to study the formation process, a trans-scale discretization method is proposed. A two-dimensional finite element model of shaped charge and reactive material liner is established and the jet formation process, granule size difference induced particle dispersion and granule distribution induced jet particle distribution are analyzed based on Autodyn-2D platform and Euler solver. The result shows that, under shock loading of shaped charge, the Al particle content decreases from the end to the tip of the jet, and increases as the particle size decreases. Besides, the quantity of Al particles at the bottom part of the liner has more prominent influence on the jet head density than that in the other parts, and the Al particle content in the high-speed section of jet shows inversely proportional relationship to the ratio of the particle quantity in the top area to that in the bottom area of liner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drop-weight tests were conducted to investigate the impact-initiation sensitivity of high-temperature PTFE-Al-W reactive materials. The test results show that the impact-initiation sensitivity of the materials more than doubles with increasing the sample temperature from 25 to 350 °C. Combined with the impact-induced initiation process recorded by high-speed video and the difference between reacted and unreacted residues, the crack-induced initiation mechanism was revealed. The rapid propagation of crack provides a high-temperature and aerobic environment where Al reacts violently to PTFE, which induces the initiation. Moreover, the influence of sample temperature on the sensitivity was discussed and analyzed. The analysis results indicate that the sensitivity shows a temperature interval effect, and 127 and 327 °C are the interval boundaries where the sensitivity changes significantly. The sensitivity may leaps at 127 °C and increases more rapidly in the temperature interval from 127 to 327 °C, but hardly changes after the temperature reaches 327 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of reactive material damage element technology in ammunition warheads is a research hotspot in the development of conventional ammunition. The research results are of great significance and military application value to promote the development of high-efficiency damage ammunition technology. In this paper, we aimed to understand the behavior of the reactive jet and its damage effect on a steel target by undertaking theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental research. We studied the influence of structural and material parameters on the shape of the reactive jet based on autodyn-2d finite element simulation software, and the formation behavior of the reactive jet was verified using a pulsed X-ray experiment. By studying the combined damage caused by the steel target penetrating and exploding the reactive jet, the influence of the structural and performance parameters, and the explosion height of the reactive jet liner on the damage effect to the steel target was studied. A static explosion experiment was carried out, and the optimal structural and performance parameters for the reactive material and explosion height of the reactive jet liner were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown that the energy release capacity of Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/Al with Si, and CuO, respectively, is higher than that of PTFE/Al. PTFE/Al/Si/CuO reactive materials with four proportions of PTFE/Si were designed by the molding–sintering process to study the influence of different PTFE/Si mass ratios on energy release. A drop hammer was selected for igniting the specimens, and the high-speed camera and spectrometer systems were used to record the energy release process and the flame spectrum, respectively. The ignition height of the reactive material was obtained by fitting the relationship between the flame duration and the drop height. It was found that the ignition height of PTFE/Al/Si/CuO containing 20% PTFE/Si is 48.27 cm, which is the lowest compared to the ignition height of other Si/PTFE ratios of PTFE/Al/Si/CuO; the flame temperature was calculated from the flame spectrum. It was found that flame temperature changes little for the same reactive material at different drop heights. Compared with the flame temperature of PTFE/Al/Si/CuO with four mass ratios, it was found that the flame temperature of PTFE/Al/Si/CuO with 20% PTFE/Si is the highest, which is 2589 K. The results show that PTFE/Al/Si/CuO containing 20% PTFE/Si is easier to be ignited and has a stronger temperature destruction effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perforation behavior of 3 mm/3 mm double-spaced aluminum plates by PTFE/Al/W (Polytetrafluoroethylene/Aluminum/Tungsten) reactive projectiles with densities ranging from 2.27 to 7.80 g/cm3 was studied experimentally and theoretically. Ballistic experiments show that the failure mode of the front plate transforms from petalling failure to plugging failure as projectile density increases. Theoretical prediction of the critical velocities for the reactive projectiles perforating the double-spaced plates is proposed, which is consistent with the experimental results and well represents the perforation performance of the projectiles. Dimensionless formulae for estimating the perforation diameter and deflection height of the front plates are obtained through dimensional analysis, indicating material density and strength are dominant factors to determine the perforation size. High-speed video sequences of the perforation process demonstrate that high-density reactive projectiles make greater damage to the rear plates because of the generation of projectile debris streams. Specifically, the maximum spray angle of the debris streams and the crater number in the debris concentration area of the rear plate both increase with the projectile density and initial velocity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, the bulk density homogenization and impact initiation characteristics of porous PTFE/Al/W reactive materials were investigated. Cold isostatic pressed (CIPed) and hot temperature sintered (HTSed) PTFE/Al/W reactive materials of five different theoretical maximum densities were fabricated via the mixing/pressing/sintering process. Mesoscale structure characteristics of the materials fabricated under different molding pressures were compared while the effect of molding pressures on material bulk densities was analyzed as well. By using the drop weight testing system, effects of the theoretical maximum densities (TMDs), drop heights and molding pressures on the impact initiation characteristics were studied. Quantitatively, characteristic drop heights (H50) for different types of materials were obtained. The two most significant findings of this research are the density homogenization zone and the sensitivity transition zone, which would provide meaningful guides for further design and fabrication of reactive materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the reaction characteristic of a novel reactive material, which introduced bismuth trioxide (Bi2O3) into traditional polytetrafluoroethylene/aluminum (PTFE/Al), is studied. The effect of Bi2O3 with different content and particle size on the reaction behaviors of PTFE/Al/Bi2O3 are investigated by drop-weight test and X-ray diffractometer (XRD), including impact sensitivity, energy release performance under a certain impact, and reaction mechanism. The experimental results show that the content of Bi2O3 increased from 0% to 35.616%, the characteristic drop height of impact sensitivity (H50) of PTFE/Al/Bi2O3 reactive materials decreased first and then increased, and the minimum H50 of all types of materials in the experiment is 0.74 times that of PTFE/Al, and the particle size of Bi2O3 affects the rate of H50 change with Bi2O3 content. Besides, with the increase of Bi2O3 content, both the reaction intensity and duration first increase and then decrease, and there is optimum content of Bi2O3 maximizing the reaction degree of the PTFE/Al/Bi2O3. Furthermore, a prediction model for the impact sensitivity of PTFE-based reactive material is developed. The main reaction products include AlF3, xBi2O3·Al2O3, and Bi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/Al reactive material liner shaped charge generally produces insufficient penetration depth, although it enlarges the penetration hole diameter by chemical energy release inside the penetration crater. As such, a novel high-density reactive material liner based on the PTFE matrix was fabricated, and the corresponding penetration performance was investigated. Firstly, the PTFE/W/Cu/Pb high-density reactive material liner was fabricated via a cold pressing/sintering process. Then, jet formation and penetration behaviors at different standoffs were studied by pulse X-ray and static experiments, respectively. The X-ray results showed that the PTFE/W/Cu/Pb high-density reactive material liner forms an excellent reactive jet penetrator, and the static experimental results demonstrated that the penetration depth of this high-density reactive jet increased firstly and then decreased by increasing the standoff. When the standoff was 1.5 CD (charge diameter), the penetration depth of this reactive jet reached 2.82 CD, which was significantly higher than that of the traditional PTFE/Al reactive jet. Moreover, compared with the conventional metal copper jet penetrating steel plates, the entrance hole diameter caused by this high-density reactive jet improved 29.2% at the same standoff. Lastly, the chemical reaction characteristics of PTFE/W/Cu/Pb reactive materials were analyzed, and a semi-empirical penetration model of the high-density reactive jet was established based on the quasi-steady ideal incompressible fluid dynamics theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The penetration enhancement behaviors of a reactive material double-layered liner (RM-DLL) shaped charge against thick steel targets are investigated. The RM-DLL comprises an inner copper liner, coupled with an outer PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene)/Al reactive material liner, fabricated via a cold pressing/sintering process. This RM-DLL shaped charge presents a novel defeat mechanism that incorporates the penetration capability of a precursor copper jet and the chemical energy release of a follow-thru reactive material penetrator. Experimental results showed that, compared with the single reactive liner shaped charge jet, a deeper penetration depth was produced by the reactive material-copper jet, whereas the penetration performance and reactive material mass entering the penetrated target strongly depended on the reactive liner thickness and standoff. To further illustrate the penetration enhancement mechanism, numerical simulations based on AUTODYN-2D code were conducted. Numerical results indicated that, with increasing reactive liner thickness, the initiation delay time of the reactive materials increased significantly, which caused the penetration depth and the follow-thru reactive material mass to increase for a given standoff. This new RM-DLL shaped charge configuration provides an extremely efficient method to enhance the penetration damage to various potential targets, such as armored fighting vehicles, naval vessels, and concrete targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the reaction characteristic of a novel reactive material, which introduced bismuth trioxide (Bi 2 O 3 ) into traditional polytetrafluoroethylene/aluminum (PTFE/Al), is studied. The effect of Bi 2 O 3 with different content and particle size on the reaction behaviors of PTFE/Al/Bi 2 O 3 are investigated by drop-weight test and X-ray diffractometer (XRD), including impact sensitivity, energy release performance under a certain impact, and reaction mechanism. The experimental results show that the content of Bi 2 O 3 increased from 0% to 35.616%, the characteristic drop height of impact sensitivity ( H 50 ) of PTFE/Al/Bi 2 O 3 reactive materials decreased first and then increased, and the minimum H 50 of all types of materials in the experiment is 0.74 times that of PTFE/Al, and the particle size of Bi 2 O 3 affects the rate of H 50 change with Bi 2 O 3 content. Besides, with the increase of Bi 2 O 3 content, both the reaction intensity and duration first increase and then decrease, and there is optimum content of Bi 2 O 3 maximizing the reaction degree of the PTFE/Al/Bi 2 O 3 . Furthermore, a prediction model for the impact sensitivity of PTFE-based reactive material is developed. The main reaction products include AlF 3 , xBi 2 O 3 ·Al 2 O 3 , and Bi.