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We present an experimental and theoretical study of electrically exploded nickel-aluminum (Ni/Al) laminates, lithographically patterned into bow-tie bridge regions, and encapsulated with parylene. The exothermic nature of Ni/Al reactions is well-known at typical self-heating rates of 103–106 K/s, but electrical heating allows the interrogation of phenomena at heating rates which are five to six orders of magnitude higher. The use of time-resolved streak camera emission spectroscopy revealed that Ni/Al laminates heated at these higher rates exhibited brighter emission during the first 150 ns of emission than samples composed of either Al or Ni alone, suggesting an exothermic effect which rapidly started and persisted for at least this length of time. We also measured the transduction of electrical energy into kinetic energy through velocity measurements of encapsulation layers ejected from the bridge region. An empirical model using experimental power curves and one empirical fitting parameter successfully predicted these velocities. This model agreed well with experiments from different Al and Ni samples using the same fitting parameter, but an apparent 1.2 J/mg of additional energy from the mixing of Ni and Al was necessary to accurately predict velocities from Ni/Al laminate samples. This energy quantity corresponded to a reference value for the enthalpy of mixing Ni and Al, and likely contributed to both brighter emission and higher than expected velocities observed.

A time-resolving spectrographic instrument has been assembled with the primary components of a spectrometer, image-converting streak camera, and CCD recording camera, for the primary purpose of diagnosing highly dynamic plasmas. A collection lens defines the sampled region and couples light from the plasma into a step index, multimode fiber which leads to the spectrometer. The output spectrum is focused onto the photocathode of the streak camera, the output of which is proximity-coupled to the CCD. The spectrometer configuration is essentially Czerny-Turner, but off-the-shelf Nikon refraction lenses, rather than mirrors, are used for practicality and flexibility. Only recently assembled, the instrument requires significant refinement, but has now taken data on both bridge wire and dense plasma focus experiments.

The electrical heating of Ni/Al laminate foils allows interrogation of phenomena at heating rates as high as 10^12 K/s. In the 2011 Fall MRS meeting, we reported on emission spectra from rapidly heated Ni/Al laminates resolved temporally over 350 ns, which provided qualitative evidence of rapid and exothermic vapor phase mixing of Ni and Al in these experiments which we term electrical explosions. These results were significant, because thermal diffusion processes normally limit Ni/Al reactions to much slower energy release rates, potentially limiting their applications. Here we present further evidence of exothermic Ni/Al mixing, quantified by experimental velocity measurements of encapsulation material and interpreted by numerical calculations of energy partitioning into different processes. These calculations agreed well with experiments from different Al, Cu, and Ni samples, sputter-deposited and lithographically patterned into bow-tie bridge structures. Velocity measurements of up to 5 km/s for 11.5 μm thick parylene encapsulation layers were accurately predicted using a single, empirical fitting parameter which depended on the electrical circuit used. The calculations also agreed with encapsulation layers accelerated by electrically exploded Ni/Al laminates as long as an additional 1.2 kJ/g of energy was included in the model. This value is precisely the enthalpy of mixing between Ni and Al, and therefore quantifies the transduction of energy into encapsulation layer kinetic energy.