Ignition, combustion, and agglomeration of encapsulated aluminum particles in a composite solid propellant. I. Theoretical study of the ignition and combustion of aluminum with fluorine-containing coatings

This paper gives a brief review of methods for modifying metallic fuels for composite solid propellants, including the application of coatings onto aluminum particles (encapsulation). Requirements for the coating material are formulated. By means of thermodynamic calculations, it is shown that some fluorine-containing coatings reduce the content of the condensed phase in the propellant combustion products without decreasing the specific impulse. A mathematical model for the ignition of a single encapsulated particle is proposed. Calculations show a decrease in the ignition time of an aluminum particle with a fluorine-containing coating.