Impact Thresholds for the Initiation of Metal Sparking

Abstract

Metal cylinders were projected perpendicularly against thick metal plates at varied velocities to determine thresholds of sparking. Pyrophoric metal projectiles such as cerium (misch metal), hafnium, titanium, zirconium, and aluminum (Dural) had lower thresholds than the non-pyrophoric metals - iron and copper. Empirical predictions of metal pyrophoricity were confirmed by these results. Impacts on Dural targets had higher thresholds than those on steel targets for given metal projectiles. This is attributed to the lower density of Dural. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1978
Accession Number
ADA054738

Entities

People

  • Warren W. Hillstrom

Organizations

  • Ballistic Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alloys
  • Ammunition
  • Cerium
  • Cerium Alloys
  • Energy
  • Inorganic Chemicals
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Materials
  • Metal Oxides
  • Metals
  • Misch Metal
  • Motion Pictures
  • Munitions
  • Oxides
  • Photographs
  • Projectiles
  • Test Methods

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Plasma Physics.
  • Surface Engineering/Surface Coating Technology.