We recently reported the optimization of a mixed metal Ti—Al—B reactive metal nanopowder (RMNP) fuel for the combination of desirable properties, including high energy content and good stability for ease of formulating and handling. Bomb calorimetry carried out on polymer-protected samples confirmed an energy content of &gt; 31 kJ/g, and the material density was measured to be 2.62 g/cc, making the volumetric energy density a significant 81 kJ/cc, which is similar to bulk aluminum and 25% greater than nano-Al. In this work we have synthesized sufficient quantities of the RMNPs to conduct lab-scale combustion testing to assess the performance of RMNPs as an experimental solid fuel additive. RMNPs were used at a 10 wt. % loading in HTPB cast grains, which were used in a miniature hybrid rocket test, and benchmarked against pure HTPB and nano-Al loaded HTPB. Preliminary data show that RMNPs produce an improvement in HTPB regression rates at a variety of oxidizer flow rates, and exhibit better performance than nano-Al. This provides an interesting window into a fuel system that deserves a closer mechanistic look.

Sonochemically generated amorphous Ti—Al—B nanopowder: A high-energy-density solid fuel additive

254th National Meeting (2017)

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