Metal oxides (MOs) are of great importance in catalysts, sensor, capacitor and water treatment. Nano-sized MOs have attracted much more attention because of the unique properties, such as surface effect, small size effect and quantum size effect, etc. Hematite, an especially important additive as combustion catalysts, can greatly speed up the thermal decomposition process of energetic materials (EMs) and enhance the combustion performance of propellants. This review concludes the catalytic effect of hematite with different morphology on some EMs such as ammonium perchlorate (AP), cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX), cyclotetramethylenete-tranitramine (HMX), etc. The method for enhancing the catalytic effect on EMs using hematite-based materials such as perovskite and spinel ferrite materials, making composites with different carbon materials and assembling super-thermite is concluded and their catalytic effects on EMs is also discussed. Therefore, the provided information is helpful for the design, preparation and application of catalysts for EMs.
Keywords: Fe2O3; aluminothermic reaction; energetic materials; thermal decomposition.