Mechanically stimulated reaction of metal/polymer mixed powders

Mechanical grinding (MG) with mechanically stimulated reaction was performed on metal/polymer mixed powders. The starting materials used in this study were the metals of Mg, Ti and Mg₂Ni powders, and polymer of PTFE, PVC and PE powders. The MG process was investigated using XRD, IR, SEM and TEM. According to XRD results, magnesium fluoride (MgF₂, TiF₂) and chloride (MgCl₂) were detected from MG products of the Mg/PTFE, Ti/PTFE and Mg/PVC blending systems, respectively. Explosive reaction was found during MG of both Mg/PTFE and Ti/PTFE. It was also confirmed by XRD results that the production of MgF₂ had already been formed just before the explosive reaction in Mg/PTFE system. It was found from IR analysis that C-C single bond in the polymers, not only both in PTFE and PVC but also in PE, changed to double bond C = C. Hydrogen produced due to decomposition of PE on blending Mg₂Ni/PE was absorbed into C-Mg₂Ni-H as amorphous solutes. These mechanically stimulated reaction was powerful method for decomposition of engineering plastics.