Fundamentals and Advances in Aluminum/Polytetrafluoroethylene Reactive Materials: Design, Ignition, and Response Behaviors

Metal‐based energetic materials are advancing the transformation of conventional energetic technologies toward intelligent systems, driven by controllable energy release and robustness under extreme environments. This paper focuses on the aluminum/polytetrafluoroethylene (Al/PTFE) composite and systematically reviews the research progress and challenges in its component design, preparation processes, performance characterization, and various ignition mechanisms. A comparative analysis of preparation methods, including mechanical mixing, surface coating, and gradient architectures, reveals impact on interfacial contact efficiency and thermal stability, pointing to nanoscale interface engineering as a pivotal approach for energy density enhancement. Subsequently, the response characteristics of Al/PTFE under different stimulation modes, such as impact ignition, resistive bridge wire ignition, and laser ignition, are systematically compared. Combined with various test methods such as thermodynamic analysis, the competitive mechanism between the rupture kinetics of the Al oxide layer and the diffusion of PTFE‐dissociated gaseous products is clarified, and the limitations of current cross‐scale simulations are revealed. Finally, targeting emerging application directions such as initiator propellants and nontraditional explosion scenarios, prospective directions for future research and design are proposed.