EXPLOSIVE COMPATIONS OF INTERMETALLIC‐FORMING POWDER MIXTURES FOR FABRICATING STRUCTURAL ENERGETIC MATERIALS

A double‐tube implosion geometry is used to explosively shock consolidate intermetallic‐forming Ni‐Al, Ta‐Al, Nb‐Al, Mo‐Al and W‐Al powder mixtures for fabricating bulk structural energetic materials, with mechanical strength and ability to undergo impact‐initiated exothermic reactions. The compacts are characterized based on uniformity of micro structure and degree of densification. Mechanical properties of the compacts are characterized over the strain‐rate range of 10−3 to 104 s−1. The impact reactivity is determined using rod‐on‐anvil experiments, in which disk‐shaped compacts mounted on a copper projectile, are impacted against a steel anvil in using a 7.62 mm gas gun. The impact reactivity of the various explosively‐consolidated reactive powder mixture compacts is correlated with overall kinetic energy and impact stress to determine their influence on threshold for reaction initiation. The characteristics of the various compacts, their mechanical properties and impact‐initiated chemical reactivity w...