Aluminum Flakes
Home Up Aluminum Flakes Particle Characteristics

 

 


 

 

Aluminum Flakes
Home Up Aluminum Flakes Particle Characteristics

 


em.jpg (63736 bytes) This is a picture of the polybutadiene/aluminum rocket binder material burning in the exhaust of the MFC. The white streaks are particles of aluminum.

 

    Aluminum flakes are derived mainly from rocket motor washout residue (an energetic material).  Often energetic materials are mixed with metals to increase the specific impulse of the propellant.  However, in trying to co-fire energetic materials with traditional fuels in utility boilers, the combustion of metal-containing propellants was identified as a potential concern.

    Most of these fuels have high levels of fuel-bound nitrogen, much of it bound in the form of nitrate groups, resulting in high NOx emissions. The high NOx production would be a severe drawback to co-firing these fuels.  During preliminary experiments of burning these fuels at the MFC, particle temperatures measured  as high as 1700oC. These high temperatures were observed to create large quantities of thermal NOx and also created concern that the molten aluminum particles could potentially damage boiler equipment.

    These data indicate that NOx controls, as well as judicious selection of the firing method to protect the boiler from molten metal, will be required for co-firing of metal-containing energetic materials.