Dynamic recrystallization in a tantalum shaped charge

Abstract

The authors have recently presented evidence for dynamic recrystallization in a cooper shaped charge by comparing the grain structure and substructure of the original liner cone with cross section views of a slug and jet recovered from a similar, detonated copper liner cone. Here the authors present comparisons of microstructures for an annealed, undetonated tantalum shaped charge liner cone with cross sectional views of a recovered slug, and a jet fragment from a detonated tantalum liner cone. These observations provide even more compelling evidence for dynamic recrystallization in the shaped charge regime, and suggest that dynamic recrystallization constitutes the most apparent mechanism characterizing shaped charge and related explosively formed penetrator deformation phenomena, as recently suggested by Meyers, et al in the extreme deformation of pre-shock-hardened copper.