Publications Details
Issues in shock-induced solid state chemistry
There has been considerable work over the past few years to study shock-induced solid state chemistry. In the present report, issues raised in the area are reviewed and critical concepts are discussed. The distinctive nature of solid state chemistry compared to liquid and gas phase chemistry is emphasized and material probes suitable for the study of solids are described. In order for solids to react in times less than one microsecond, unusual processes must be initiated in shock compression. Chief among the unique shock processes is the mixing of reactants by the large kinetic energy of shock-compression pulses. Mixing and fluid-like flow can lead to sufficiently intimate contact between reactants to permit complete chemical reaction in the solid state on the time scale of the experiment. Shock-induced solid state chemistry may be described as an unusually intense mechanochemical process. 24 refs., 2 figs.