Characterization of Tantalum Liners Applied to 25-mm and 120-mm Cannon Bore Sections via Explosive Bonding

摘要

A materials forensics analysis was performed on sections of 25-mm rifled and 120-mm smoothbore gun tubes that were explosively bonded with pure tantalum. Characterization tests included liner thickness measurements, profilometry/surface finish, x-ray diffraction, and microstructural analysis including microhardness, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and adhesion testing. Results indicate that there was good adhesion. However, there was evidence that the explosive bonding process was overly energetic; both adiabatic shear bands in the steel and a brittle iron/ tantalum intermetallic phase in the coating were observed.