Effect of Gas Atmosphere on Impact Energy Release Characteristics of Al/W/PTFE Energetic Structural Materials

ABSTRACT Al/W/PTFE energetic structural materials (ESMs) exhibit both strength and energy release characteristics under impact, thereby enhancing their destructive effects, especially in confined spaces. To study the relationship between the mechanical properties of Al/W/PTFE samples under impact compression and their corresponding energy release behavior, die‐sintering was used to prepare the samples, and a combination of finite element simulation, reaction kinetics, and chemical energy release experiments was employed. The macroscopic chemical energy release characteristics of ESMs were investigated using a pressure chamber. A model of the degree of impact‐induced chemical reaction in ESMs was established based on the combination of the Arrhenius model and the Avrami–Erofeev kinetic model, quantitatively describing the growth behavior of the chemical reactions. This model established a significant correlation between the degree of reaction and the mechanical behavior of the material. Further analysis revealed that the high temperature induced by the reaction is the primary reason for the enhanced destructive effect of the active fragments. Finally, an oxygen–aluminum–fluorine thermal reaction model was developed to study the impact‐induced reaction behavior of ESMs in air and argon atmospheres. The results showed that oxygen in the air enhances the reactivity of Al with CF 2 by promoting mechanisms like adsorption, polarization, oxide film rupture, and facilitating reaction intensity and persistence through the high diffusion rate of CF 2 and low thermal conductivity of AlF 3 . Therefore, compared with the argon atmosphere, ESMs exhibit stronger impact‐induced reaction characteristics in air, validating the effectiveness of the model.