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HEAVY-METAL SELF-FORGING-FRAGMENT WARHEAD DEVELOPMENT
Phone: (215) 386-4884
THE INCREASED EFFECTIVENESS OF MODERN ADVANCED ARMORS HAS CALLED FOR MORE PERFORMANCE FROM EXISTING CONVENTIONAL WARHEADS. ONE WAY TO ADDRESS THIS CHALLENGE IS THROUGH THE USE OF HIGH-DENSITY MATERIALS AS SELF-FORGING FRAGMENT (SFF) LINERS. THE BENEFIT OF SUCH MATERIALS IS INCREASED PENETRATION INTO THE TARGET. SEVERAL HIGH-DENSITY METALS INCLUDING TANTALUM (P = 16.6 G/CC), DEPLETED URANIUM (DU) (P = 19.1 G/CC), AND TUNGSTEN (P = 19.3 G/CC) HAVE BEEN TRIED IN THIS APPLICATION, BUT TUNGSTEN HAS A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES. TUNGSTEN HAS A VERY HIGH DENSITY AND IS NON-RADIOLOGICAL AND NON-TOXIC. RECENT WORK HAS SHOWN THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO PROCESS TUNGSTEN IN A COLD-FORGING OPERATION, WHICH IS QUITE ATTRACTIVE FROM A PRODUCTION STANDPOINT. PRELIMINARY APPLICATION TO SHAPE-CHARGE LINERS HAS ALSO SHOWN SATISFACTORY RESULTS. THEREFORE, WE PROPOSE TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING TUNGSTEN, DERIVED FROM A PRODUCTION-TYPE PROCESS, IN AN SFF LINER.
* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *