A new ternary high-energy composite based on nano titanium powder with low sensitivity and stable combustion

For solving the low combustion efficiency caused by aggregation and further promoting the application of nano titanium powder (n-Ti), a new ternary composite high-substitute nitrochitosan/nano titanium/graphene oxide (NCh/n-Ti/GO) was prepared by a resonant acoustic mixing method. Herein the high-substitute nitrochitosan (NCh) was used as binder and oxidant to modify the surface of n-Ti powder, and GO was introduced as stabilizer and carrier. The energy release rate, laser ignition, combustion performance and sensitivity of NCh/n-Ti/GO were systematically studied in this work. The experiment results confirmed that GO plays a significant role in adjusting combustion performance and reducing the sensitivity of composite. Compared with n-Ti, NCh/n-Ti and NC/n-Ti, the introduction of GO can greatly increase the combustion time and reduce the flame propagation speed. In particular, NCh/n-Ti/GO (3 wt%) presentedan optimal linear flame morphology, the shortest ignition delay time and lowest pressurization rate. The combustion products were also determined and confirmed to be co-existence of TiO, a little TiN and unburned n-Ti powder. The introduction of GO can reduce the sensitivities to impact and electrostatic of composites greatly. The electrostatic sensitivity of NCh/n-Ti/GO (3 wt%) was 5.1 ± 0.1 mJ and decreased by 160% and 230%, compared with that of n-Ti and NCh/n-Ti. So the introduction of NCh and GO would be a good strategy to promote the combustion performances and safety of n-Ti powder.