INFLUENCE OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL OSCILLATING COMBUSTION FRONTS ON THERMAL PROFILES

A multi-dimensional numerical model for micropyretic/combustion synthesis was developed and then applied to a special configuration. The configuration was chosen to illustrate the differences between one-dimensional and two-dimensional combustion. The features of the model include the melting of each constituent of the reactants and the products, and considerations of porosity for both the reactants and the products. Application of this model to the oscillatory combustion synthesis of TiB2 has been carried out, for the first time, to study two-dimensional- combustion-front movement. The model predicts higher hot-spot temperatures in a two-dimensional situation than those obtained in a one-dimensional experiment. Additionally, hot spots are noted to traverse along orthogonal directions. Some processing implications of such results are examined.