@inproceedings{1b4938bb748b4c3fb96ee1869cebcd91,
title = "Design of Experiments Evaluating the Ignition Characteristics and Flammability of Bulk Refractory Alloys",
abstract = "The combustion behavior of bulk refractory alloys is of particular interest in the field of aerospace due to their potential application under extremely high temperatures or harsh combustion conditions. However, their high ignition thresholds make it difficult to sustain combustion using traditional test methods with millimeter-scale samples, even in oxygen-enriched atmospheres. To address this challenge, this study proposes a test method using thin strip samples with thickness under 1.0 mm to evaluate the combustion behavior of bulk refractory metals. We used a high-powered laser as a heating source and a high-speed camera to capture ignition and combustion processes in order to examine the ignition characteristics and flammability of equiatomic titanium-niobium (TiNb), zirconium-niobium (ZrNb), and titanium-zirconium-niobium (TiZrNb) refractory alloys, as well as pure Nb, using samples ranging from 0.20 to 0.50mm in thickness. Controlling sample thickness in 0.1-mm intervals resulted in relative standard deviations of less than 20\% for both ignition delay time and volumetric combustion velocity, confirming the precision of the method. Among the four studied materials, TiZrNb showed the shortest ignition delay time and fastest combustion velocity. Postcombustion microstructure analysis revealed that the combustion was primarily driven by the oxidation of Ti and Zr, while Nb remained largely unreacted, forming an Nb-rich metallic region inside the oxide zone that eventually dropped out as the flame propagated. This laser-based approach provides an effective method for assessing the combustion properties of refractory materials and investigating the detailed mechanism governing combustion.",
keywords = "combustion, flammability, ignition, refractory metals",
author = "Li, \{Xiu Wen\} and Heling Liu and Huibin Ke and Yong Tang and Wei Dong and Chenming Huang and Xiaoyu Wang and Ke Jin and Xun Guo and Baolu Shi and Yunfei Xue",
note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright{\textcopyright} 2026.; 16th International Conference on Flammability and Sensitivity of Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres ; Conference date: 23-10-2024 Through 24-10-2024",
year = "2026",
doi = "10.1520/STP165320240066",
language = "English",
series = "ASTM Special Technical Publication",
publisher = "ASTM International",
pages = "104--123",
editor = "Steinberg, \{Theodore A.\} and Chiffoleau, \{Gwenael J.\}",
booktitle = "Flammability and Sensitivity of Materials in Oxygen-Enriched Atmospheres",
address = "United States",
}