Features of Ignition of Thermite Mixture Al/CuO by Electric Discharge

This study investigates the electro-spark initiation of a chemical reaction in a porous mechanochemically activated mixture of aluminum powder and copper oxide. The conditions for the formation and parameters of the electrical discharge are described. Based on the measurement results and a number of assumptions, an estimate is given for the volume of plasma penetration into the pores of the mixture. Experiments are conducted to initiate combustion in semi-enclosed volumes with a mass of up to 1 g to provide indirect evidence of the completeness of the chemical reaction. Combustion occurs with the formation of a flame in open space, and its dynamics over time are presented as a result of the parameters of the electrical discharge. The experimental results are approximated by appropriate functions, representing the dependences of the ignition delay time on the energy density of the electrical discharge and the flame formation rate of the mixture on the discharge energy. From the obtained dependences, the critical values of the energy parameters of the electro-spark discharge for stable ignition of the thermite mixture are determined.