Economical method for fabricating high-quality super-thermites

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has demonstrated that the cyromilling process is capable of producing aluminum/copper oxide super-thermite powder. The cryomilling process, as developed, offers a significant cost advantage through the use of micron-sized aluminum as the starting material. Combustion characteristics of the cryomilled materials were shown to exhibit properties equivalent to or close to those of ultrasonically produced powders fabricated completely from nanopowders. PSI developed a top-down process method capable of achieving low-cost super-thermites but also one that is scaleable, reproducible, safe, and flexible. On the proposed Phase II program, PSI will further optimize the combustion properties, increase process yield, demonstrate scalability, perform an aging study, solidify manufacturing cost, and demonstrate the process capability for several super-thermite systems including: aluminum/copper oxide, aluminum/bismuth oxide, and aluminum/molybdenum oxide.