Assisted self-sustaining combustion reaction in the Fe-Si system: Mechanical and chemical activation

This work presents original investigations carried out to improve the activated self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process in the Fe-Si system: different ignition modes are tested (volume heating as opposed to a local ignition source), and the use of additive is considered in order to enhance the SHS type reactivity in the Fe-Si system. When 20 wt.% of KNO3 is added to the reactive mixture, the fast (>20 mm s(-1)), stable and self-sustaining combustion reaction produces a very fine FeSi + (x-FeSi2 structure. Infrared thermography JR) as well as post-mortem analysis (SEM, EDXS, XRD) was used to understand the mechanism behind the chemical activation process when KNP3 was used as an additive. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.