Silver ferrite: a superior oxidizer for thermite-driven biocidal nanoenergetic materials.

Silver-containing oxidizers are of interest as biocidal components in energetic application such as thermites due to their biocidal agent delivery. In this study, AgFeO 2 , was evaluated as an oxidizer in aluminum-based thermite system. This novel oxidizer AgFeO 2 particles were prepared via a wet-chemistry method and its structure, morphologies and thermal behavior were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, and time-resolved temperature-jump time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The results indicate the decomposition pathways of AgFeO 2 vary with heating rates from a two-step at low heating rate to a single step at high heating rate. Ignition of Al/AgFeO 2 occurs at a temperature just above the oxygen release temperature that is very similar to Al/Fe 2 O 3 and Al/CuO. However, with a pressurization rate three times of Al/CuO, Al/AgFeO 2 yields a comparable result as to Al/hollow-CuO or Al/KClO 4 /CuO, with a simpler preparation method. The post combustion products demonstrated that the Al/AgFeO 2 thermite reaction produces a fine dispersion of elemental nanosized silver particles which coats the larger alumina particles and is thus bioavailable.