Explosion characteristics of aluminum-based activated fuels containing fluorine

Measuring the dust explosion characteristics of aluminum-based activated fuels was a prerequisite for developing effective prevention and control measures. In this paper, ignition sensitivity, flame propagation behaviors and explosion severity of aluminum/polytetrafluoroethylene (Al/PTFE) compositions including 2 PT (2.80 wt.% F), 4 PT (7.18 wt.% F) and 8 PT (11.90 wt.% F) were studied. When the content of F increased from 2.80 wt.% to 11.90 wt.%, the minimum explosive concentration MEC decreased from 380 g/m3 to 140 g/m3, due to the dual effects of increased internal active aluminum and enhanced reactivity. The average flame propagation velocities increased as the percentage of F increased. The maximum explosion pressure Pm of 500 g/m3 aluminum-based activated fuels increased from 247 kPa to 299 kPa. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that with the increase of PTFE content, the reaction was more complete. On this basis, the explosion mechanism of aluminum-based activated fuels was revealed.