Preparation of DAP-4@Ti Core-Shell Composites with Enhanced Combustion Performance

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Combustion Chemistry

Background:

• Improving the combustion performance of energetic materials like DAP-4 is crucial for various applications.
• Achieving uniform dispersion of additives, such as nano-Titanium (Ti) powder, is a key challenge in composite material preparation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize DAP-4@Ti core-shell structured composites.
• To investigate the effect of nano-Ti coating on the dispersion, thermal decomposition, and combustion properties of DAP-4.

Main Methods:

• Ultrasonic composite method for preparing DAP-4@Ti core-shell structures.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Thermal decomposition analysis via synchronous thermal analysis (STA) and combustion behavior investigation using electric ignition.

Main Results:

• Successfully prepared DAP-4@Ti composites with a core-shell morphology, where DAP-4 is the core and nano-Ti powder forms the shell.
• Nano-Ti coating significantly improved DAP-4's combustion performance, yielding a maximum combustion heat of 8889 J/g.
• Observed a peak flame temperature of 1234 °C and the fastest flame propagation speed of 115 mm/s.
• Enhanced thermal decomposition characteristics of the core-shell particles were noted.

Conclusions:

• The ultrasonic method effectively disperses nano-Ti powder, forming a protective shell around DAP-4.
• The DAP-4@Ti core-shell composites exhibit superior combustion characteristics compared to pristine DAP-4.
• Nano-Ti coating is a viable strategy to enhance the performance of energetic materials.