Novel Energetic Composite Materials
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0896-H01-03.1
Novel Energetic Composite Materials Jun Nable1, Andrew Mercado1, Andrew Sherman1 Powdermet Inc., 24112 Rockwell Drive, Euclid, OH 44117
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Abstract A screening of novel energetic materials is presented. These materials are selected according to their energy content and heat release during ignition. These material mixtures will be fabricated into composites that can also perform structural functions. A composite fabrication route is developed using fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition; coating a metallic layer onto the particles as a method to control mechanical properties and reaction kinetics. These reactive metal matrix composites can be developed to offer optimum performance with specific strength, modulus and energetic capabilities. Introduction It is highly desirable to produce a single warhead package that can provide effectiveness against multiple targets, such that the ideal warhead would combine all of the benefits of a fragmenting/penetrating warhead with high energy “explosive” or reactive warhead effects. Reactive Metal Matrix Composites (RMMCs) can be developed that offer optimum performance in terms of specific stiffness, specific strength and modulus, while providing controlled release of large amounts of energy [1-3]. By combining a high strength and modulus reactive phase with a ductile, strain adsorbing light metal phase, very high specific stiffness and strength materials can be created. These materials are low density and sufficiently hard, strong and stiff enough to replace steels, and they react upon impact/atomization to generate large amounts of thermal energy. Unfortunately, current manufacturing practices require high temperature processing and cannot adequately control the interfaces between reactive phases to produce the desired metastable reactive composite. Of interest to the missile/warhead designer is a low cost, easily fabricated, very lightweight reactive structural system that can be used as a direct replacement for current heavy steel or aluminum structures. Unfortunately, structural materials with these energetic capabilities do not exist. The work presented demonstrates the feasibility of manufacturing high energy, metastable or reactive composites that can perform structural functions while providing at least 1MJ/lb of available energy upon impact with a target. A round-robin of reactive/energetic materials formulations is conducted and tested for energetic properties covering a range of potential Reactive Material (RM) applications. A preliminary composite fabrication method by fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition (FBCVD) of Al was conducted on non-oxidizing substrate particles. Experimental A preliminary screening by thermodynamic calculation using the HSC software for reactive materials resulted in the selection of candidate mixtures presented in Table 1.
0896-H01-03.2
These energetic reactions are based on their heat of reactions being ≥ 1 MJ/lb and their environmental compatibility and stability with respect to chemical vapor deposition and composi
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