Method for producing a fragment / reactive material assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9708227-B2
Application number	US-201414195033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A method for the manufacture of a composite fragmenting material having exothermic properties includes the steps of packing a mold with preformed metal fragments; filling interstitial spaces surrounding the metal fragments with a reactive metal powder to form a mixture; and then sintering the mixture at a temperature effective to both coat the metal fragments with the reactive metal powder and to bond the metal fragments together. In one embodiment the composite fragmenting material is formed into a nosecone for a warhead.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for the manufacture of a composite fragmenting material having exothermic properties, comprising the steps of:
packing a mold with preformed metal fragments;
filling interstitial spaces surrounding said metal fragments with a reactive metal powder to form a mixture; and
sintering said mixture at a temperature effective to both coat said metal fragments with said reactive metal powder and to bond said metal fragments together, wherein the reactive metal powder is a material that is exothermic on fragmentation of a warhead.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said reactive metal powder is selected to be pyrophoric in the presence of oxygen at temperatures reached during detonation of the warhead.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said reactive metal powder is selected from the group consisting of zirconium, niobium, hafnium, aluminum, titanium, magnesium and alloys of those metals containing more than 50%, by weight, of those metals.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said reactive metal is selected to be zirconium or a zirconium-base alloy.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said mixture is sintered at a temperature of between 1200° C. and 1500° C.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a vacuum of between 10 −3 torr and 10 −6 torr is applied to said mixture during the step of sintering.

Assignees

• Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc

Inventors

• Alven David A

Classifications

• C22C1/045

  Alloys based on refractory metals · CPC title

• C06B45/00

  Compositions or products which are defined by structure or arrangement of component of product (explosive charges of particular form or shape F42B1/00, F42B3/00) · CPC title

• B22F2201/20

  Use of vacuum · CPC title

• B22F3/1007 Primary

  Atmosphere (B22F3/1021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C06B21/0041 Primary

  by compression · CPC title