An approach to distinguish chemical and kinetic energy of reactive materials: PTFE/LiF as an inert substitute to PTFE/Al

Abstract To distinguish between the kinetic and chemical contributions in the impact of PTFE/Al, this study explores the feasibility of introducing an inert substitute for PTFE/Al by substituting aluminum (Al) with inert materials. Three specimens were fabricated through a process involving mixing, compression, and sintering of raw materials The mechanical properties of these specimens were assessed. Dynamic fragmentation tests of PTFE/Al and PTFE/LiF specimens were performed. These results further substantiate the potential of PTFE/LiF as an inert alternative to PTFE/Al, the two materials exhibit comparable fragmentation distribution characteristics. A preliminary exploration of the energy release in both materials was conducted via vented chamber calorimetry tests. The findings reveal that, at an impact velocity of roughly 650 m/s, only 66.9 % of the materials were deposited into the chamber, with a mere 17.8 % being initiated, about 88.9 % of the total deposited energy results from the chemical reaction energy within the PTFE/Al materials. Importantly, this method demonstrates promise for further application in energy release analysis experiments for various PTFE/Al‐based reactive materials. These findings are beneficial for evaluating the energy release characteristics of reactive fragments on typical targets and lay the foundation for refining energy release models of such materials in future research.