A Smart Thermite with Tunable Properties – Doping of Al/Cuo with Microwave Absorbing Ti3c2 Mxene for Improved Ignition and Combustion Performance

Nanothermites have a wide application in many civil and defense applications, including propulsion and detonations systems, micro-electromechanical (MEMs) and other systems that require fast energy release rate and low ignition temperature. Since traditional ignition methods are commonly based on surface excitation (spot ignition), possessing a risk of undesired ignition, safe and selective microwave (MW)-based igniting systems can interact with an ignitable material (typically a thermite) over its full volume at once . Unfortunately, thermites have low susceptibility to MW due to the presence of Al 2 O 3 oxide shell on Al particles, which would commonly require a high ignition power of MW radiation and long ignition delay times. In this work, Ti 3 C 2 MXene was introduced as a MW susceptor into Al/CuO energetic nanocomposite. The samples were ignited using a MW probe, showing that the introduction of MXene into Al/CuO/MXene could significantly reduce a power required for its MW ignition, as well as shorten the ignition delay time versus the parent Al/CuO nanothermite. Presence of MXene could modulate and control a heat release, gas production and combustion performance of the Al/CuO/MXene composites, substantially extending safety, flexibility and adaptability of new nanothermites to various operational requirements.