Aluminum–Oxidizer Systems

This chapter concerns the adiabatic properties of the aluminum–oxygen system and another thirty-two exothermic aluminum–oxidizer combinations, otherwise known as aluminum-based thermite compositions or Al-based thermites. Reactive oxidizers of interest, which are all metal oxides or metalloid oxides, include TiO₂, V₂O₅, Nb₂O₅, Ta₂O₅, Cr₂O₃, MoO₃, WO₃, MnO, Mn₃O₄, Mn₂O₃, MnO₂, FeO, Fe₃O₄, Fe₂O₃, CoO, Co₃O₄, NiO, Cu₂O, CuO, Ag₂O, ZnO, CdO, HgO, B₂O₃, SiO₂, SnO, SnO₂, PbO, Pb₃O₄, PbO₂, Sb₂O₃, and Bi₂O₃. The thermochemical descriptions within this chapter were derived from the FactPS and FToxid databases of FactSage 7.0. Each section contains one or two general figures as well as written descriptions of certain fuel-to-oxidizer ratios. Temperature points describe features and points of interest along adiabatic temperature profiles. Similarly, gas points refer to adiabatic gas production profiles. Some adiabatic temperature charts contain flat regions where the adiabatic temperature remains constant despite variations in the stoichiometry of the system. Some of these temperature plateaus are described and explained.