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russian 125 mm hollow charge shell BK -14
- Thread starter alpvogt
- Start date
DU shells
Hello Alpvogt,
that seems to me very improbably because Depleted Uranium is used for his property to be VERY hard. The cone of a hollow charge must be made in ductil metal like coper.
DU is used in antitank projos like APFSDS or similar
Hello Alpvogt,
that seems to me very improbably because Depleted Uranium is used for his property to be VERY hard. The cone of a hollow charge must be made in ductil metal like coper.
DU is used in antitank projos like APFSDS or similar
Chris 42 RQ
Well-Known Member
Soft DU material
Yodamaster I think you may be mistaken as "DU" is a very easily machined material and is relatively soft as the penetration is achieved by sheer mass and not hardness.
I have no hardness numbers to quote and I think it is also not very advisable to heat treat it so it is used in a "raw" state for munitions.
It has also been used for the shaped charge cones on specialist ordnance items (do not know which however) and I believe it is more feasable to use on larger shaped charge liners only.
Yodamaster I think you may be mistaken as "DU" is a very easily machined material and is relatively soft as the penetration is achieved by sheer mass and not hardness.
I have no hardness numbers to quote and I think it is also not very advisable to heat treat it so it is used in a "raw" state for munitions.
It has also been used for the shaped charge cones on specialist ordnance items (do not know which however) and I believe it is more feasable to use on larger shaped charge liners only.
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There have been experiments in several countries with the use of DU as a shaped charge liner, but I do not know of any that were fielded (not to say someone hasn't, I just don't know of it). The added expense of working with the DU is generally not worth it because there is not that much difference in its effectiveness. DU in itself is not a health hazard. The dust and particles produced in working with it however, can become airborne and ingested or breathed into the body or enter through an exposed cut. This can present a health hazard so working with DU has to be done under strict controls. The pyrophoric effect DU has is somewhat mitigated when a DU slug is formed following a shaped charge warhead detonation so that benefit is lost. The bottom line is that copper is the most effective and cost efficient metal that can be used. Many exotic metals and even common steel have been experimented with, but copper generally wins out in the end. DU has certainly found a home in penetrators though, from the U.S. 7.62x51mm DUDS round up to large tank gun size projectiles.
Hello Chris, it's probably a test they made for use DU in shaped charges, but it's all time for me very improbable.
Look at this file, you shall understand me
[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium"]Depleted uranium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:30mm_DU_slug.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/30mm_DU_slug.jpg/250px-30mm_DU_slug.jpg"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/6/69/30mm_DU_slug.jpg/250px-30mm_DU_slug.jpg[/ame]
Greets
Chris 42 RQ
Well-Known Member
Not good !
Yes Yodamaster I do see what you mean, and the pollution it could potentially cause is just not worth it for a shaped charge when better results are obtainable with cheaper and non polluting metals.
It has been trialled for shaped charges ond one would expect its performance to have been dissapointing or not equalled conventional methods as it has not been taken up that I know of.
Doing pretty much anything with it is extremely hazardous to anyone inhaling any part of it let alone allowing it to be vapourized by explosives.
Yes Yodamaster I do see what you mean, and the pollution it could potentially cause is just not worth it for a shaped charge when better results are obtainable with cheaper and non polluting metals.
It has been trialled for shaped charges ond one would expect its performance to have been dissapointing or not equalled conventional methods as it has not been taken up that I know of.
Doing pretty much anything with it is extremely hazardous to anyone inhaling any part of it let alone allowing it to be vapourized by explosives.