Oxidative treatment effect on TiH2 powders

Titanium hydride (TiH2) is a brittle powder, which is highly reactive when exposed to heat or strong oxidizers. Namely due to its high reactivity, TiH2 powder is widely applied in pyrotechnics, initiator squibs, and igniters. All the industrial applications of TiH2 are based on its decomposition and consequent hydrogen release. The surface of TiH2 powders has been analysed after different heat treatments in air realized by changing time and temperature. Hydrogen release during heating was investigated by temperature programmed desorption, whereas the crystalline phases were examined by X‐ray diffraction. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the chemical states of the surface layers of the treated TiH2 particles. The oxide thickness after different heat treatments was determined by using the XPS depth profiling. The XPS results revealed the presence of Ti3+ and Ti4+ species on the TiH2 surface. The thickness of titanium oxide layer on the TiH2 particles was estimated from the XPS depth profiles. In general, this work explains the result of an experimental campaign directed to study the effect of various heat treatments on phase transformation and surface structure of TiH2 in relation to hydrogen desorption.