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A study on kinetics of ignition reaction of B4C/KNO3 and B4C/KClO4 pyrotechnic smoke compositions

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Abstract

Presented herein is a study on the ignition reaction kinetics and mechanism of B4C/KNO3 and B4C/KClO4 pyrotechnic smoke compositions using the non-isothermal thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry techniques. The pyrotechnics in oxygen balance of − 10%, − 20% and − 30% were prepared for the experiments. The results of measurements showed that the pyrotechnics in oxygen balance of − 20% had the highest enthalpy. The activation energy (Ea) of ignition reactions was calculated by using Ozawa–Flynn–Wall (OFW) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) methods. The Ea values of B4C/KNO3 and B4C/KClO4 were 139.5 and 214.6 kJ mol−1 calculated by OFW method, and 129.3 and 210.7 kJ mol−1 by KAS method. The differential and integral reaction mechanism functions of B4C/KNO3 and B4C/KClO4 were determined, respectively, by z(α) master plots method, f1(α) = 2(1 − α)[− ln(1 − α)]1/2, g1(α) = [− ln(1 − α)]1/2, and f2(α) = 3(1 − α)[− ln(1 − α)]2/3, g2(α) = [− ln(1 − α)]1/3. The pre-exponential factors, lnA = 11.6 and 22.3 min−1, were obtained by the intercept of KAS method for ignition reaction of B4C/KNO3 and B4C/KClO4 pyrotechnics. Based on the results, the burning rates, thermal sensitivities and application methods of B4C/KNO3 and B4C/KClO4 were predicted.

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Acknowledgements

The support for this work was provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project No. 51676100).

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  1. School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210094, China

    Jingran Xu, Chenguang Zhu, Xiao Xie, Chenguang Yan & Yikai Wang

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  1. Jingran Xu
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Correspondence to Chenguang Zhu.

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Xu, J., Zhu, C., Xie, X. et al. A study on kinetics of ignition reaction of B4C/KNO3 and B4C/KClO4 pyrotechnic smoke compositions. J Therm Anal Calorim 140, 2317–2324 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-09015-9

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