Initiation of exothermal reactions between boron and titanium and boron and zirconium by a laser light pulse

The formation reactions of titanium and zirconium diborides from simple materials by means of kinetic characteristics are among the gasless reaction categories. Initiation of these reactions was accomplished by an inflammable mixture and electric heater, and by light energy flux from a xenon lamp. Light radiation from a laser was also used. Different gasless combustion reactions were initiated by lasers in order to determine the minimum values of the ignition energy as a function of the particle size of the constituents and of the initial temperature.