Shock-wave initiation of a thermite mixture of $\mathrm{Al}+\mathrm{CuO}$

Shock-wave initiation of chemical reaction in pressed pellets of a stoichiometric mixture of $\mathrm{Al}$ and $\mathrm{CuO}$ powders in a steel tube was studied. The dynamics of the chemical transformations in the heterogeneous flow of reaction products of the mixture during dispersion of the pressed pellet material in a rarefaction wave was investigated. From the results of pyrometric measurements, the maximum brightness temperature of chemical reaction products was $\approx$3 500 K.