US company Reactive Nanotechnologies (RNT) is seeking a commercial partner for its thin-film igniter technology, NanoFoil, which could be used for metal bonding or ejection seat pyrotechnics.
Nanofoil is fabricated by the vapour deposition of thousands of alternating nanoscale layers of aluminium and nickel. When initiated by an electrical, thermal, mechanical or optical source, the layers mix and react to release heat energy in a controllable manner. Varying the composition and thickness of the layers can control the velocity, temperature and total energy of the reaction.
Another potential use is as an igniter for infrared countermeasure flares or for the room temperature bonding of mismatched metals. “You could bond large areas of metals with this. As an igniter, in demonstrations we have used a 9V battery as the electrical source,” says John Hannafin, RNT business development and marketing vice-president.
The material, Hannafin claims, could be used to bond mismatched metals that have different rates of thermal expansion. With heat-related joining, warping can occur where the surfaces of mismatched metals become stressed. Nanofilm would be placed between the surfaces and ignited, with a reaction propagation rate of 30m/s (5,900ft/min), to bond them.
Source: Flight International
