Oxidation of Boron Modified with Vanadium Pentoxide

The oxidation of amorphous boron powders modified with vanadium pentoxide was studied by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, x-ray diffraction analysis, and electron microscopy. The modification was carried out by mixing powders with vanadium-containing gels: V $${}_{2}$$ O $${}_{5}\cdot n$$ H $${}_{2}$$ O hydrogel and V $$(\textrm{OCH}_{2})_{2}\cdot n(\textrm{HOCH}_{2})_{2}$$ oleogel. It was found that adding 2 $$\%$$ (wt.) V $${}_{2}$$ O $${}_{5}$$ to the amorphous boron powder led to a decrease of 200 $${}^{\circ}$$ C in the temperature of the onset of its intense oxidation and to a 25 $$\%$$ increase in the specific heat release during interaction under heating in air at a rate of 10 $${}^{\circ}$$ C/min. The reaction of boron with vanadium pentoxide is considered within the framework of the borothermal process model.