Tantalum–tungsten oxide thermite composites prepared by sol–gel synthesis and spark plasma sintering

Energetic composite powders consisting of sol–gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide were produced with various amounts of micrometer-scale tantalum fuel metal. Such energetic composite powders were ignition-tested and the results show that the powders are not sensitive to friction, spark and/or impact ignition. Initial consolidation experiments, using the High-Pressure Spark Plasma Sintering (HPSPS) technique, on the sol–gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide produced samples with higher relative density than can be achieved with commercially available tungsten oxide. The sol–gel derived nanostructured tungsten oxide with immobilized tantalum fuel metal (Ta–WO3) energetic composite was consolidated to a density of 9.17 g cm−3 or 93% relative density. In addition, those samples were consolidated without significant pre-reaction of the constituents, thus retaining their stored chemical energy.