VAPOR COATING OF BORON FUEL PARTICLES BY MAGNESIUM

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PHASE I RESEARCH IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF VAPOR DEPOSITING A THIN COATING OF MAGNESIUM ON BORON PARTICLES TO PROTECT THEM FROM LOW TEMPERATURE OXIDATION AND AID THEIR IGNITION IN BORON-CONTAINING FUELS. THE FEASIBILITY WILL BE DEMONSTRATED IN A LABORATORY SCALE DIFFUSION-FLOW APPARATUS. COLLECTED, COATED BORON PARTICLES WILL BE EXAMINED WITH OPTICAL AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY AND BY CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. THE EFFECTS OF GAS AND PARTICLE TEMPERATURE AND OF PARTICLE SIZE ON THE COATING PROCESS WILL BE TESTED. THE RESULTING VAPOR COATING PROCESS WILL BE COMBINED WITH A PROPRIETARY PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HIGH PURITY BORON POWDERS FOR COMBUSTION APPLICATIONS IN FUTURE WORK.