The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on May 7, 2009)Includes bibliographical references.Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2006.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Electrical engineering.The objective of this thesis is to synthesize a slow burning nanoenergetic formulation of mesoporous iron oxide with sustainable pressure characteristics and reduced electrostatic discharge ignition sensitivity. The choice of iron oxide is made because of its redox reaction with Al-particles. We have attempted to reduce the combustion wave velocity by infiltrating polymers inside porous Fe₂O₃ and combining it with Al-nanoparticles. Furthermore, modifications with the polymers can reduce the electrostatic discharge (ESD) ignition sensitivity of nanoenergetic composites. The composites reported in this thesis will be useful for propellant applications because these propellants in general burn at a slow rate and provide sustained pressure in MPa range for few milliseconds. Propellant formulations that are currently being investigated contain metal oxide oxidizer and fuel nanoparticles that does not show sustained pressure characteristics. This thesis presents the results obtained with the nanoenergetic composites prepared using polymers, which exhibit the desired propellant characteristics
