Warhead casing

• US 5,000,093 A
• Filed: 09/25/1980
• Issued: 03/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cognis IP Management GmbH (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Filler, William S., Rozner, Alexander G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelson, Peter A.
• Application Number:
  US06/190,526
• Time in Patent Office: 3,827 Days
• Field of Search: 102/364, 102/464, 102/514, 102/516, 102/517, 102/519, 75/214, 419/2, 419/42
• US Class Current: 102/364
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 1/09 Mixtures of metallic powders
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/11 Making porous workpieces or articles
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/0416 Aluminium-based alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/76 of the casing

Abstract

A method for producing an energistic porous warhead casing comprises the steps of mixing aluminum and magnesium powders in an Al:Mg weight ratio from about 22:78 to about 28:72, isostatically pressing said powders to form a preform of appropriate shape and with a density from about 20 to about 40 percent of the theoretical density, and heating said preform in an inert atmosphere at a temperature from 350 C to about 425 C until the density reaches 60 to 70 percent of the theoretical density.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating warhead casings which comprises the following steps in order:

(1) mixing magnesium powder and aluminum powder in a Mg-Al weight ratio from about 22;

78 to about 28;

72, said magnesium and aluminum powder having an average particle size within about 80 percent of each other and having an average particle size less than about 150 microns;

(2) isostatically pressing said powder mixture into a preform with the configuration of said warhead casing with a density from about 20 to 40 percent of the theoretical density;

(3) releasing said pressure;

(4) heating said preform at a temperature from about 350 C. to about 425 C. in an inert atmosphere until said preform reaches a density from about 60 to about 70 percent of the theoretical density;

(5) cooling said preform to room temperature.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said powders are mixed in a Mg-Al weight ratio from 24:

76 to 26;

74.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said powders are mixed in a weight ratio of 25:

75.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the particle size of said powders is less than 100 microns.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said powder mixture is isostatically pressed to a density from 30 to 35 percent of theoretical density.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said powder mixture is isostatically pressed to a density from 30 to 35 percent of theoretical density.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said compact is heated to a temperature from 375 C. to 400 C.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said compact is heated to a temperature from 375 to 400 C.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said preform is heated to a temperature from 375 to 400 C.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said preform is heated until the density reaches 63 to 68 percent of theoretical density.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said preform is heated until the density reaches 63 to 68 percent of theoretical density.

12. The method of claim 3 wherein said preform is heated at a temperature from 375 to 400 C. until the density of said compact reaches 63 to 68 percent of theoretical density.

14. A warhead casing prepared by the method of claim 1.

15. A warhead casing prepared by the method of claim 4.

16. A warhead casing prepared by the method of claim 7.

17. A warhead casing prepared by the method of claim 11.

18. A warhead casing prepared by the method of claim 12.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said mixture of powders is isostatically pressed in step (2) into a preform not in a configuration of a warhead and wherein the following step is added after step (5):

(6) machining said preform to obtain a warhead configuration.

13. A hollow warhead casing having walls comprising uniformly distributed sintered aluminum particles and magnesium particles wherein

(1) the weight ratio of magnesium to aluminum is from about 22.78 to about 28:

72;

(2) the average size of the aluminum particles and of the magnesium particles is less than about 150 microns;

(3) the aluminum and magnesium have an average particle size within about 80 percent of each other; and

(4) the warhead casing has a density of from about 60 to about 70 percent of the theoretical density.

20. The hollow warhead casing of claim 13 wherein the weight ratio of magnesium to aluminum is from 24:

76 to 26;

74.