Nano-composite energetic powders prepared by arrested reactive milling

Abstract

A method is disclosed for producing an energetic metastable nano-composite material as well as the energetic metastable nano-composite materials produced thereby. Under pre-selected milling conditions a mixture of powdered components are reactively milled. These components will spontaneously react at a known duration of the pre-selected milling conditions. The milling is stopped at a time at which the components have been compositionally homogenized to produce nanocomposite powder, but prior to said known duration, and thereby before the spontaneous reaction occurs. The milled powder is recovered as a highly reactive nanostructured composite for subsequent use by controllably initiating destabilization thereof.

1 . A metastable nano-composite material produced by a method consisting essentially of:
 (a) reactively milling a mixture of powdered components that spontaneously react at a known duration of said milling;   (b) stopping said milling at a time at which said components are compositionally homogenized on a nanoscale to produce a nanocomposite powder but prior to said known duration, and thereby before said spontaneous reaction occurs; and   (c) recovering as a product the milled powder as a nanostructured composite for subsequent use by controllably initiating destabilization thereof.   
   
   
       2 . A metastable nano-composite material in accordance with  claim 1  comprising particles in the 1-50 μm range. 
   
   
       3 . A metastable nano-composite material in accordance with  claim 1  that is highly reactive. 
   
   
       4 . A metastable nano-composite material in accordance with  claim 1  that is compositionally homogenized. 
   
   
       5 . A metastable nano-composite material produced by a method consisting essentially of:
 (a) selecting starting components as two or more powdered materials capable of a highly exothermic reaction;   (b) reactively milling said starting components to achieve homogeneity;   (c) stopping said milling at a time at which said components are compositionally homogenized on the nanoscale to produce a nanocomposite powder, but prior to initiation of said exothermic reaction; and   (d) recovering as a product the milled powder as a metastable nano-composite for subsequent use by controllably initiating destabilization thereof.   
   
   
       6 . A metastable nano-composite material in accordance with  claim 5  comprising particles in the 1-50 μm range. 
   
   
       7 . A metastable nano-composite material in accordance with  claim 5  that is highly reactive. 
   
   
       8 . A metastable nano-composite material in accordance with  claim 1  that is compositionally homogenized. 
   
   
       9 . A metastable nano-composite material substantially in powder form. 
   
   
       10 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that undergoes an exothermic reaction more quickly or at a lower temperature than materials previously available. 
   
   
       11 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that undergoes an exothermic reaction in at least about 10% shorter time than the time required for materials previously available to undergo a similar or the same reaction at a given heat flow. 
   
   
       12 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that begins to react in an exothermic reaction at a temperature that is at least about 10% lower than the temperature at which materials previously available begin to react in the same or a similar reaction at a given heat flow. 
   
   
       13 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that begins to react in an exothermic reaction at a temperature that is at least about 50 or more degrees Kelvin lower than the temperature at which materials previously available begin to react in the same or a similar reaction at a given heat flow. 
   
   
       14 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that begins to react in an exothermic reaction at a temperature that is at least about 100 or more degrees Kelvin lower than the temperature at which materials previously available begin to react in the same or a similar reaction at a given heat flow. 
   
   
       15 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  wherein most or all particles are between 1-100 microns in diameter. 
   
   
       16 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  wherein at least about half of particles are smaller than about 50 microns in diameter 
   
   
       17 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  wherein at least about half of particles are smaller than about 30 microns in diameter. 
   
   
       18 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  wherein most or all inclusions in the material are about 50-200 nanometers in diameter. 
   
   
       19 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that is 25% or more denser than similar materials of the same elements produced by other means. 
   
   
       20 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that substantially completes an ignition reaction in at least 10% less time than the time required for similar materials of the same elements produced by other means at a given heating rate to substantially complete an ignition reaction. 
   
   
       21 . A metastable nano-composite material according to  claim 9  that substantially completes an ignition reaction in at least 25% less time than the time required for similar materials of the same elements produced by other means at a given heating rate to substantially complete an ignition reaction.