Tungsten Combustion in Explosively Initiated W/Zr Mechanical Alloys

Abstract

Tungsten is mechanically alloyed with zirconium and subject to explosive initiation in confined chamber tests. Transient pressure measurements and residue analysis suggest that a majority of the tungsten reacts within 10 ms in alloys containing 33, 57, and 75 w/w W (balance Zr). The product of tungsten oxidation is likely amorphous WO₃, because no crystalline tungsten oxides are observed in X-ray analysis of the residues. These results suggest that the chemical energy of tungsten can be extracted efficiently from mechanical alloys containing as little as 25% Zr, resulting in very high-density structural energetics that release chemical energy comparable to TNT on a mass basis.

Keywords:

• mechanical alloy
• reactive materials
• tungsten
• zirconium

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency under HDTRA1-10-1-0003. The program manager is Dr. Suhithi Peiris. Special thanks to Ed Dreizin at NJIT for helpful advice on mechanical alloying and for inspiring us to pursue this avenue of research.