Experimental study of the disperse composition of condensed products of aluminum-particle combustion in air

The particle shape and structure and also the disperse composition of condensed products of combustion of ASD-1, ASD-4 and ASD-6 aluminum-based powders in air with oxidizer-to-fuel ratios of 0.12–0.4 and initial pressures of 0.05–0.30 MPa are examined. The mass of submicron particles of aluminum oxide amounts to 90% of the total mass of condensed combustion products. The mean mass diameter of particles is 0.15–0.18$\mu$m and increases with increasing pressure. Under atmospheric pressure, the initial disperse composition of aluminum powders and the proportion between the components in the combustor volume have little or no effect on the disperse composition of the condensed phase. A comparative analysis is performed of the disperse composition of condensed phase particles formed due to aluminum combustion in various propellant mixtures and various combustors. It is shown that the main factors affecting the disperse composition are the type of the propellant mixture, the gas-dynamic combustion process, and the conditions determining the interaction of aluminum particles with each other and with the gas phase.