Changes During Pyrolysis of the RF-MOx Systems

Synthesis of RF-MOx interpenetrating networks is straightforward and highly versatile. Importantly, these materials can be used as precursors for the synthesis of other aerogels whose synthesis either has not been reported before or would be quite elaborate by other methods. The method can be modified easily to make films, thus comprising an economic alternative to chemical or atomic layer deposition methods CVD and ALD, respectively), which require expensive equipment. 

Figuer 14.10. Typical structural evolution of a smeltable RF-MOx system. Scale bars white, 5 pm black, 2 pm. Arrow points to the xerogel-like structure inside the macroporous walls [53]. 

Nevertheless, it is predicted that the degree of compactness needed should be completely application-specific. For instance, a xerogel-Uke structure in Fe203/Al thermites should be more effective than an aerogel. However, in thermites that require circulation of gases (e.g., O2 in RF-CuO c [46, 59, 60] or the f F-Fe° system [11]), a more open aerogel- or ambigel-like [61-63] structure is expected to bum more quickly. 

The author would like to thank the Army Research Office (W91 lNF-10-1-0476) and the National Science Foundation (CHE-0809562 and CMMI-0653919) for financial support, the Materials Research Center of Missouri S T for support in sample characterization (SEM and XRD), co-investigator Professor Chariklia Sotiriou-Leventis, and the graduate students who have contributed to this effort Naveen Chandrasekaran, Sudhir MuUk, and Anand G. Sadekar. 

Interpenetrating polymer networks. Klempner D, Sperling L H, Utracki L A Eds, American Chemical Society, Washington DC (1994) 

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