Projectile Formation of Tantalum EFP Liner Fabricated by Thermo-Mechanical Processes

As explosively formed penetrator materials, tantalum has been the subject of intense studies due to its high density and good formability. It is known that mechanical and physical properties of tantalum are significantly affected by crystallographic texture. While considerable work has been carried out and much is known about the development of texture in deformed and recrystallized tantalum, it is not clearly known about the effect of tantalum texture on EFP formation. In this study, projectile formation behavior of tantalum EFP liners with various textures was examined. Tantalum EFP liners were fabricated by thermo-mechanical processes. The influence of the processing route on the recrystallized texture and microstructure was analyzed. Shapes of explosively formed penetrators of thermo-mechanically processed tantalum liners were examined by flash X-ray radiography.