DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF PARTICULATE/POROUS ENERGETIC MATERIALS

Dynamic behavior of particulate/porous energetic materials in a broad range of dynamic conditions (low velocity impact and explosively driven expansion of rings) is discussed. Samples of these materials were fabricated using Cold Isostatic Pressing and Hot Isostatic Pressing with and without vacuum encapsulation. The current interest in these materials is due to the combination of their high strength and output of energy under critical conditions of mechanical deformation. They may exhibit high compressive and tensile strength with the ability to undergo bulk distributed fracture resulting in small size reactive fragments. The mechanical properties of these materials and the fragment sizes produced by fracturing are highly sensitive to mesostructure. For example, the dynamic strength of Al-W composites with fine W particles is significantly larger than the strength of composites with coarse W particles at the same porosity. The morphology of W inclusions had a strong effect on the dynamic strength and fracture pattern. Experimental results are compared with numerical data.