Researchers at GW have invented a method to manufacture H-terminated silicon that is amorphous and highly porous. The method to manufacture is highly efficient, in that, it involves cost-effective steps and can be performed on a large-scale level. This H-terminated silicon can also be domestically produced. This H-terminated silicon has various industrial and military applications including when combined with an oxidizer as a primary explosive as part of a initiator, primer (igniter) or detonator of an energetic material such as secondary explosives, propellant or pyrotechnic. Hydrogen terminated silicon is an environmentally friendly replacement of currently used primary explosives such as lead azide and lead styphnate and therefore can translate to cost-effectiveness for its users.
To date, H-terminated silicon has been prohibitively expensive as it only known production route was anodic etching of silicon wafers using hydrofluoric acid, a energy intensive, extremely hazardous, environmentally deleterious method, poorly scalable method with low yield. This new synthetic route to H-terminated silicon uses extant manufacturing techniques associated with aspects such as combination, separation, isolation, addition, dispersion, agitation of various chemical compounds. The method, in part, includes utilizing at least aluminum chloride, magnesium silicide, sodium chloride to arrive at a H-terminated silicon that is amorphous and highly porous, with nearly quantitative yield and resulting in a benign waste stream.
Applications:
- Application as primary explosive for use in industrial and military systems
Advantages:
- Non-toxic for personnel
- Environment friendly
- Feasilbility of large scale domestic production
- Low manufacturing cost
For further information, please see:
Report of testing results from Army Research Laboratory DEVCOM – ARL-TR-9290 – Sept 2021
