Nanoenergetic composites with fluoropolymers: transition from powders to structures

• Main Authors: Pisharath, Sreekumar, Ong, Yew Jin, Hng, Huey Hoon
• Other Authors: School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Science::Chemistry::Organic chemistry::Polymers; Engineering::Materials::Functional materials; Nanoenergetic Materials; Fluoropolymers; Reactive Structures
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/162263
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Over the years, nanoenergetic materials have gained enormous research interest due to their overall better combustion characteristics as compared to their micron-sized counterparts. Alu-minum, boron and their respective alloys are the most extensively studied nanoenergetic mate-rials. Majority of the research work related to this topic are confined to the respective powders. However, for practical applications, the powders need to be consolidated into reactive structures. Processing the nanoenergetic materials with polymeric binders to prepare structured composites is a possible route for the conversion of powders to structures. Most of the binders including the energetic ones, when mixed with nanoenergetic materials even in small quantities, adversely affects the ignitability and combustion performance of the corresponding composites. The pas-sivating effect induced by the polymeric binder is considered unfavorable for ignitability. Fluoropolymers, with their ability to induce pre-ignition reactions with the nascent oxide shell around aluminum and boron, are recognized to sustain the ignitability of the composites. Initial research efforts have been focused on surface functionalizing approaches using fluoropolymers to activate them further for energy release, and also to improve the safety and storage. With the combined advent of more advanced chemistry and manufacturing techniques, fluoropolymers are later being investigated as binders to process nanoenergetic materials to reactive structures. This review focuses on the major research developments in this area that have significantly assisted in the transitioning of nanoenergetic powders to structures using fluoropolymers as binders.