Consolidated High Density and High Energy Density Nanocomposites Produced by Arrested Reactive Milling

Highly reactive nanocomposite powders will be consolidated into solid shapes suitable for use as structural components of munitions. Nanostructured, reactive composites of intermetallic or thermite compositions have been prepared recently by Arrested Reactive Milling (ARM). Specific materials prepared previously include compositions in the systems Al-Fe2O3, Al-MoO3, and B-Ti. The prepared nanocomposites are micron-sized powders where individual particles are fully dense, nanostructured three-dimensional aggregates of materials capable of highly exothermic reactions. Due to the high degree of structural refinement within the particles, the interface area between the reactive components is very large; therefore, the reaction rates between the components are high. The reactive nanocomposites are suitable for established powder consolidation techniques such as pressing or rolling. Consolidated shapes of these materials are expected to be advantageous as structural members of penetrators, shells, and other munitions where they effectively increase the payload and enhance lethality while providing structural support. Research is proposed to determine the degree to which reactivity, density, and mechanical properties of consolidated shapes can be tuned to suit specific requirements. The ARM process is versatile and allows for use of many reactive combinations as well as for adjustment of reactivity and density.