COMBUSTION SYNTHESIS OF ADVANCED MATERIALS .2. CLASSIFICATION, APPLICATIONS AND MODELING

Combustion (self propagating high temperature) synthesis (SHS) reactions have been classified into (i) simple reaction systems in which no other processing step, other than the SHS reaction, is considered; (ii) SHS reactions which involve simultaneous and/or subsequent densification process(es); (iii)SHS reactions coupled with vapor transport systems and those which synthesize specific products such as functionally-graded materials (FGM), thin films and coatings, and mechanically alloyed powders or those used to join dissimilar ceramics and/or intermetallics. Finally, a comparison is made of the various mathematical models that have been developed to simulate and predict instabilities in propagating combustion synthesis reactions.