Dynamic Oxidation Mechanisms of Selected Rare-Earth-Base Alloys.

摘要

The dynamic oxidation of selected rare-earth elements and rare-earth-base alloys were determined for bulk powders by thermal analytic and calorimetric technique. The principal parameters established were the ignition temperature and relative combustion energy. Various oxidation mediums were studied;air,pure oxygen,and solid oxidizers. The effect of particle size of powders on ignition and combustion efficiency was established. The effect of the structural characteristics of the binary alloy systems on dynamic oxidation was analyzed. The general conditions under which the powders would or would not burn were found to be critical and were delineated. The alloy system that ignited with minimum energy was the cerium-iron system. One of the alloys was capable of spontaneous combustion in air at room temperature. Several other alloy systems with minimal ignition energy were the cerium-zinc and the cerium-thorium systems. The experimental alloy systems were compared under the same conditions of testing with a commercial incendiary alloy. The alloy composition consisted of Mischmetal - 4% Mg. It did not compare as well in properties as some of the above experimental alloy systems. (Modified author abstract)