Magnetic-field-regulated combustion of aluminum particles: Mechanisms from molecular dynamics and experimental verification

A novel reactive molecular dynamics framework combined with experimental verification is developed to investigate the effects of external magnetic fields (0T, 0.1T, 0.2T, 0.5T, 1T and 2T) on aluminum combustion. The results show that the applied magnetic field significantly enhances oxygen transport and reduces the activation energy, leading to accelerated combustion. Meanwhile, the product composition becomes closer to the stoichiometric Al₂O₃ ratio, indicating improved oxidation completeness. Further analysis reveals that intensified magnetic flux density substantially promotes the generation of reactive species and enhances atomic mobility, thereby increasing the frequency of effective Al-O collisions. Under strong magnetic fields, atomic motion becomes increasingly vigorous and surface atoms tend to migrate outward, ultimately leading to fragmentation. Experimental observations are consistent with the simulation-predicted trends, demonstrating that magnetic fields intensify combustion and reduce ignition delay time by more than 50%. Particle fragmentation under strong magnetic fields is also experimentally observed. These findings provide atomistic insights into magnetic-field-assisted aluminum combustion and offer a theoretical basis for the magnetic regulation of metal fuel reactivity.