Thermochemical Considerations in Self-Sustaining Synthesis of Refractory Compounds

Thermochemical relationships in synthesis of refractory compounds have been considered. The heat generated from elemental reactants in this synthesis process provides the thermal input for the gasless combustion process. Trends are shown that relate position of the elemental reactants in the periodic table and gram molecular weight of the reacted products to a thermochemical potential factor (TPF). The TPF is obtained by dividing heat of reaction with adiabatic reaction temperature. Suggestions are made to perform laboratory scoping experiments with BeB2, ScH2, TiB2, and W2C to confirm the thermochemical relationships in self-sustaining synthesis. (Author) Prepared in cooperation with Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, CA.