Energetic Materials Combustion Lab
Dr. Travis Sippel
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO, USA
Mission
Centered at the intersection of materials development and energetic materials combustion and propulsion, the Energetic Materials Combustion Lab is a multidisciplinary laboratory with the aim to study the combustion of energetic materials and to develop new energetic materials possessing dynamic control, improved performance, and improved environmental and toxicological characteristics. We are a world-leading research group in the area of SMART Energetic Materials--those capable of actively-controlled energy output for the development of new capabilities. Our goals are to explore the possibility of new energetic material functionality through both fundamentally and application-driven research, to train future leaders in energetics, and to further the scientific goals we and our partners mutually hold.
News
2024/2
We have just been notified from the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics of selection of our proposal, "Microwave active control of propellant burning rate through addition of wires," for the development and demonstration of a high thrust, high mass fraction, electromagnetically throttleable solid motor, with our partners, NSWC-Crane (Drs. Stuart Barkley and Adam Lawrence) and NAWS China Lake (Drs. Justin Lajoie and Andrew Demko). We are all very excited for this project and grateful for the opportunity!
2023/12
Congratulations Dr. Justin Lajoie for the completion of your degree and we wish you the best of luck on your new career as a member of the technical staff at the NAWS China Lake!
2023/12
Congratulations Dr. Justin Lajoie for the acceptance of the paper, "On-Demand Microwave Growth of Energetic Material Porosity: Void Formation via a Dielectric Loss Phase Change Binder Additive for Propellant Burning Rate Control," in PEP. In-situ, porosity growth inside of an energetic has potential in propellants and beyond!
Right top: Image sequence of microwave-mediated growth of monodisperse porosity within a HTPB propellant binder. Right bottom: Effect of microwave-grown porosity on propellant burning rate. Without microwave (black); with microwave pre-treatment (pink). Linear burning rates (solid) and mass burning rates (dashed) are shown.
2023/08
We have moved to Mizzou! Go Tigers!
I will miss ISU--my colleagues and the students, but am excited for what the future holds at Mizzou!
2023/07
Congratulations to Livio Gamba and Justin Lajoie for their publication in Advanced Functional Materials on printing of nanoscale thermite compact dipole antennas and their microwave ignition. Way to go Livio and Justin!
2023/07
Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Justin Lajoie for publication of his paper on combined rheological, mechanical, and ballistic properties of a 3D printed propellant formulation, showing 3D printed propellants can far surpass traditionally manufactured composites in mechanical performance. Much still to do in 3D printed propellants, however before they are cast replacements.
2023/04
Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Justin Lajoie for publication of his first paper--very impactful, as well as a journal cover in PEP!
Lajoie, J.A., Barkley, S.J., Sippel, T.R., “High-Speed, Microwave Ignition: Antenna Igniters with Frequency and Bandwidth Selectivity,” Propellants, Explosives and Pyrotechnics, 2023.
2022/11
Congratulations to Dr. Adam Lawrence who has successfully defended is Ph.D. and will be joining the Naval Surface Warfare Center as a Research Scientist. Congratulations Dr. Lawrence!
2023/10
The research group will be visiting Argonne National Lab Advanced Photon Source to study the electromagnetic formation of porosity / damage in composite mock eneregtic materials using reduced graphene oxide doped energetic material inclusions.
2021/12/31
Congratulations Dr. Stuart Barkley and Adam Lawrence. The lab's research on smart, electromagnetic thermites with the University of Iowa's Prof. Xuan Song and AFOSR on thermally switchable microwave ignition has been featured in the Year in Review issue of Aerospace America.
2021/8/25
Check out our ACS AMI article (and journal cover) on thermally switchable, microwave ignitable thermites and journal article cover, published in ACS Applied Materials Interfaces with co-authors Stuart Barkley (now NSWC Crane), Adam Lawrence, Murtaza Zohair, Olivia Smithhisler, Prof. Cary Pint, and Prof. James Michael.
2021/4/31
Farewell Dr. Stuart Barkley! Congratulations on the completion of your degree and best of luck in your new role at the Naval Surface Warfare Center - Crane! Looking forward to continued collaborations and all of your future success.
2021/4/15
Congratulations lab member Justin Lajoie for being awarded a DoD SMART fellowship! Justin will spend summers at NAWS China Lake, working on aspects of his research with China Lake research staff.
Sponsors & Collaborators
