Claims
- 1. A method of releasing chemical energy, comprising the steps of:(a) providing a energetic powder comprising an oxidant powder blended with a reductant powder, wherein the reductant powder comprises particles having a central metal core, a buffer layer that surrounds the central metal core, and a fluoroalkylsilane layer that surrounds and is covalently bonded to the buffer layer; and (b) disrupting the buffer layer so that the reducant powder and oxidant powder chemically react and release energy.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the central metal core comprises Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, W, Mn, Tc, Re, Fe, Ru, Os, Ni, Cu, Ag, Zn, Mg, Cd, Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Fr, Ba, Ca, Be, B, Al, Ga, In, TI, or mixtures thereof.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer layer comprises titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, halfnium oxide, vanadium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, chromium oxide, molybdenum oxide, tungsten oxide, manganese oxide, techetium oxide, rhenium oxide, iron oxide, ruthenium oxide, osmium oxide, nickel oxide, copper oxide, silver oxide, zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, cadmium oxide, lithium oxide, sodium oxide, potassium oxide, rubidium oxide, cesium oxide, francium oxide, barium oxide, calcium oxide, beryllium oxide, boron oxide, aluminum oxide, gallium oxide, indium oxide, tellurium oxide, and mixtures thereof.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluoroalkylsilane layer comprises a material represented by the formulaCnF2n+1(Q)Si(O)YZ, wherein n is an integer of about 1-30; wherein Q represents a (CH2)m group wherein m is an integer of about 0-6, a vinyl group, an ethynyl group, an aryl group, or a group including a silicon atom or an oxygen atom; Y represents oxygen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a fluoroalkyl group, or a fluoroaryl group; and Z represents oxygen, an alkyl group, a fluoroalkyl group, or a fluoroaryl group.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluoroalkylsilane layer comprises a material represented by the formulaCnF2n+1(CH2)2SiOYZ wherein n is equal to a positive integer of about 1-30, and wherein Y represents oxygen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a fluoroalkyl group, or a fluoroaryl group; and Z represents oxygen, an alkyl group, a fluoroalkyl group, or a fluoroaryl group.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein said fluoroalkylsilane layer comprises a material represented by the formulaCF3(CF2)n(CH2)2SiO3 wherein n is an integer of about 1-30.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the central metal core comprises aluminum and the buffer layer comprises aluminum oxide.
- 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the oxidant powder comprises MoO3.
RELATED CASES
This application is a divisional of patent application Ser. No. 10/087,883, filed Feb. 28, 2002, hereby incorporated by reference, now abandoned.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERAL RIGHTS
This invention was made with government support under Contract No. W-7405-ENG-36 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.
US Referenced Citations (13)