Multi component reactive metal penetrators, and their method of manufacture

• US 8,573,128 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2007
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ats Mer, LLC
• Original Assignee: Materials and Electrochemical Research Corporation
• Inventors: Storm, Roger S., Shapovalov, Vladimir, Withers, James C., Loutfy, Raouf
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin P
• Application Number:
  US11/764,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20080047458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 102/517, 102/519, 102/501, 419/1
• US Class Current: 102/517
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 19/0063 finned exchangers cylinders B22D19/0018
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2003/145 by warm compacting, below debindering temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/10 Sintering only
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/14 simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/15 Hot isostatic pressing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/00 Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the special shape of the product
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 1/045 Alloys based on refractory metals
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/06 with hard or heavy core; Kinetic energy penetrators F42B12/16, F42B12/74 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/74 of the core or solid body

Abstract

A penetrator comprising a layered composite of at least one high density metal and at least one reactive metal material such as a reactive metal.

Claims

1. A process for forming a penetrator, which comprises heating at least one heavy metal and at least one reactive metal to a temperature sufficient to melt at least one of the metals, but below the melting point of at least one other of the metals, wherein the heating is effected by the use of a welding torch.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the high density metal is Ta and the reactive material is Zr.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the high density metal is selected from the group consisting of Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, U, and Hf, and an alloy thereof, and the reactive material is a reactive metal selected from the group consisting of Zr, Mg, Al, Li, Be, Ti, Sc, V, H, Sr, Y, Si, and Ge, and an alloy thereof, a rare earth element and an alloy thereof, hydrogen, carbon and a metal carbide.

4. The process of claim 3, wherein the rare earth metal is selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the heating is effected by the use of a laser.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein said welding torch comprises a plasma transferred arc, a TIG, a MIG or an E-beam torch.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the penetrator is shaped into a cube.

8. The of claim 1, including the step of shaping the penetrator with a three-dimensional curvature by an explosive forming process.

9. A process for forming the penetrator as claimed in claim 1, including the step of consolidating the at least one high density metal and the at least one reactive metal by powder metallurgical processing.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the powder metallurgical processing comprises pressureless sintering, hot pressing and hot isostatic pressing.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein the high density, high reactive component is selected from the group consisting of Ta—

H, U—

H and Pu—

H, and a mixture thereof.

12. The process, for forming a penetrator, which comprises heating at least one heavy metal and at least one reactive metal to a temperature sufficient to melt at least one of the metals, but below the melting point of at least one other of the metals, wherein the heating is effected by the use of a furnace.

13. The process of claim 12, wherein the high density metal is Ta and the reactive material is Zr.

14. The process of claim 12, wherein the high density metal is selected from the group consisting of Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, U, and Hf, and an alloy thereof, and the reactive material is a reactive metal selected from the group consisting of Zr, Mg, Al, Li, Be, Ti, Sc, V, H, Sr, Y, Si, and Ge, and an alloy thereof, a rare earth element and an alloy thereof, hydrogen, carbon and a metal carbide.

15. A process for forming the penetrator as claimed in claim 14, including the step of consolidating the at least one high density metal and the at least one reactive metal by powder metallurgical processing.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the powder metallurgical processing comprises pressureless sintering, hot pressing and hot isostatic pressing.

17. The process of claim 12, wherein the rare earth metal is selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu.

18. The process of claim 12, wherein the penetrator is shaped as a cube.

19. The process of claim 12, including the step of shaping the penetrator with a three-dimensional curvature by an explosive forming process.

20. The process, for forming a penetrator, which comprises heating at least one heavy metal and at least one reactive metal to a temperature sufficient to melt at least one of the metals, but below the melting point of at least one other of the metals, wherein the heating is effected by the use of a vacuum arc.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the penetrator is shaped as a cube.

22. The process of claim 20, including the step of shaping the penetrator with a three-dimensional curvature by an explosive forming process.

23. The process of claim 20, wherein the high density metal is Ta and the reactive material is Zr.

24. The process of claim 20, wherein the high density metal is selected from the group consisting of Ta, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Au, U, and Hf, and an alloy thereof, and the reactive material is a reactive metal selected from the group consisting of Zr, Mg, Al, Li, Be, Ti, Sc, V, H, Sr, Y, Si, and Ge, and an alloy thereof, a rare earth element and an alloy thereof, hydrogen, carbon and a metal carbide.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein the rare earth metal is selected from the group consisting of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu.