COMBUSTION SYNTHESIS OF ADVANCED MATERIALS .2. CLASSIFICATION, APPLICATIONS AND MODELING

Combustion (self propagating high temperature) synthesis (SHS) reactio ns have been classified into (i) simple reaction systems in which no o ther processing step, other than the SHS reaction, is considered; (ii) SHS reactions which involve simultaneous and/or subsequent densificat ion process(es); (iii)SHS reactions coupled with vapor transport syste ms and those which synthesize specific products such as functionally-g raded materials (FGM), thin films and coatings, and mechanically alloy ed powders or those used to join dissimilar ceramics and/or intermetal lics. Finally, a comparison is made of the various mathematical models that have been developed to simulate and predict instabilities in pro pagating combustion synthesis reactions.