  Theoretical analysis and experimental results on the combustion in the Ni-Al
layered system are presented. Combustion wave temperature and velocity were
measured and microstructural and compositional determinations were made. The
latter were made on products of complete combustion and on quenched samples
using metallographic and electron microprobe analyses. The dependence of
temperature in the reaction zone on the degree of conversion was calculated
from equations of chemical kinetics and heat balance. The reaction was found to
involve two stages: one proceeding in the liquid phase and the other in the
solid phase. The former determines the combustion velocity, while the latter
determines the adiabatic combustion temperature. The rate of heat release in
the bulk and the combustion velocity were calculated with the assumption that
the reaction is controlled by the dissolution of solid Ni in liquid Al. The
experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions.
