Energetic Surface Modification of Aluminum Nanoparticles

Due to its favorable combustion properties, aluminum is the material of choice in metalized nanoparticle formulations for energetic materials; however, the full potential of aluminum nanoparticles has not been realized due to the presence of a nascent oxide layer (Al2O3) that surrounds the nanoparticles and retards their combustion. As a result, the military is looking for novel surface modification techniques that make use of the oxide layer to make the Al-nanoparticles more reactive. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) will develop surface modification chemistry that functionalizes Al-oxide passivation layers to enhance the reactivity of Al-nanoparticles. Using nanoparticle chemistry previously developed at TDA, we will couple energetic materials to the unreactive oxide passivation layer, thereby enhancing the overall reactivity of the Al-nanoparticle. The resulting materials will be tested for a variety of applications, including their use in metalized explosive formulations.