Newsgroups: sci.military
From: ahahma@utu.fi (Arno Hahma)
Subject: Re: Osmium????? (Re: depleted uranium)
Message-ID: <BtspJx.wt@lawday.DaytonOH.NCR.COM>
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 12:04:44 GMT

From ahahma@utu.fi (Arno Hahma)

In article <BtpCJG.Lq6@lawday.DaytonOH.NCR.COM> th2_oate@csd.brispoly.ac.uk (Tom Oates) writes:

>From th2_oate@csd.brispoly.ac.uk (Tom Oates)

>For those of you who aren't in the know, certain people have been
>taking an interest in a metal called Tantalum. Details are scarce but
>I *think* it's being used experimentally for HEAT liners. Perhaps someone
>else can confirm.

Tantalum would be an _excellent_ material for shaped charges, indeed.
It is about the most ductile of the metals, very dense (almost as
dense as uranium), inert like platinum (won't combust on hitting
something), high melting (about 3000 oC, a great advantage). Tungsten
is also very good for shaped charges, at least it gives a few tens of
per cent increase in performance compared to copper. I am quite sure
tantalum would outperform it.

>*  Tom Oates  (Bristol Poly, England)    *   DISCLAIMER:-               *

ArNO
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