Effect of Metal Oxides on the Combustion Characteristics of Al-Based Thermite

To explore the influence of various metal oxides on the combustion behavior of Al-based thermites, five metal oxides (Bi₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MnO₂, CuO, and MoO₃), were selected and synthesized via a liquid-phase mixing method. The combustion characteristics, including reaction energy, self-propagating combustion properties, reaction pressure, and ignition delay time, were systematically investigated. The results demonstrated that the choice of metal oxide significantly impacted the combustion performance of Al-based thermites. Among them, Al-MoO₃ exhibited the highest reaction energy in an Ar atmosphere ((4.10±0.05) kJ/g), the fastest flame spead rate ((18.77±1.23) m/s), the highest flame temperature, and the shortest ignition delay time ((1.15±0.06) s). Meanwhile, Al-Bi₂O₃ generated the highest peak pressure and pressure rise rate, with its peak pressure being 1.9, 3.5, 14.6, and 24.3 times greater than those of Al-CuO, Al-MnO₂, Al-Fe₂O₃, and Al-MoO₃, respectively. These findings highlight the potential to regulate thermite combustion properties through strategic metal oxide selection, providing a theoretical foundation for military and industrial applications.