• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.591-598
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• 2018

The reaction characteristics of aluminum-copper(II) oxide composites initiated by the electrostatic discharge were studied as changing the aluminum particle size. Three different sizes of aluminum particles with nano-size copper(II)-oxide particle were used in the study. These composites were manufactured by two methods i.e. a shock-gel method and a self-assembly method. The larger aluminum particle size was, the less sensitive and less violent these composites were based on the electrostatic test. On the analysis of high speed camera about ignition appearances and burning time, the burning speed was faster when aluminum particle size was smaller.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.220-224
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• 2019

The aluminum (Al)/copper oxide (CuO) complex is known as the most promising material for thermite reactions, releasing a high heat and pressure through ignition or thermal heating. To improve the reaction rate and wettability for handling safety, nanosized primary particles are applied on Al/CuO composite for energetic materials in explosives or propellants. Herein, graphene oxide (GO) is adopted for the Al/CuO composites as the functional supporting materials, preventing a phase-separation between solvent and composites, leading to a significantly enhanced reactivity. The characterizations of Al/CuO decorated on GO(Al/CuO/GO) are performed through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping analysis. Moreover, the functional bridging between Al/CuO and GO is suggested by identifying the chemical bonding with GO in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. The reactivity of Al/CuO/GO composites is evaluated by comparing the maximum pressure and rate of the pressure increase of Al/CuO and Al/CuO/GO. The composites with a specific concentration of GO (10 wt%) demonstrate a well-dispersed mixture in hexane solution without phase separation.