Formulation of a Reactive Material Paste for Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

The reaction generated by the ignition of energetic materials is usually solely tuned by chemical composition. With advances in 3D printing technology, the reaction can be controlled through the construction of custom geometry known as reactive material architectures. In order to investigate reactive material architectures on the meso-scale, a paste must be created. This thesis details the development and testing of a thermite paste. Samples were tested for completeness of reaction. The successful paste formulation was then 3D printed and ignited. Two conclusions can be drawn from these experiments. Thermite can be successfully suspended in a paste form while preserving the heat generation and ignition properties of powdered thermite, and a thermite paste can be successfully 3D printed at a meso-scale.