Impact-Driven Thermite Reactions with Iodine Pentoxide and Silver Oxide

Thermite reactions using aluminum (Al) fuel and either iodine pentoxide (I2O5) or silver oxide (Ag2O) were initiated by high-velocity impact or thermal initiation and examined for their flame propagation behavior. In the impact-ignition experiments, the Al-Ag2O reaction produced more energy than the Al-I2O5 reaction; in the thermal-ignition experiments, the I2O5 reaction produced higher flame propagation rates (1,305m/s compared with 531m/s). The energy released from impact-initiated reactions is significantly enhanced by reducing the size of the oxide particles. Results suggest that the reaction propagation mechanisms may be the same, even though ignition is spurred by two different stimuli (mechanically induced compaction versus thermal).