SHS reaction and explosive crystallization in thin films: Resemblance and distinction

The SHS waves in multilayer Ni/Al nanofilms and the explosive crystallization waves in Sb films deposited onto a thin copper substrate were comparatively explored by IR imaging and SEM. Despite a markedly lower thermal effect of crystallization, the waves of chemical reaction and crystallization were found to have much in common in their temperature–time histories: warmup rate, temperature gradient in the wave front, and duration of heat release. Observed was a micro-scintillation mode of the propagation of explosive crystallization wave in Sb films.