Shock Compaction of Molybdenum Powder

Incident shocks varying from 9 to 12 GPa and 2 µs duration, impinging on porous pure Mo (100 µm) powder of distension 1.4, are found to produce compacts of at least 99.4% of crystal density. Although recovered samples are consolidated and exhibit diamond pyramid hardness of ~330 to 400, the particles do not appear to be well bonded. Among several possible models for producing a melt layer on particles vie propose a dynamic frictional model. The shock pressures required to produce a ~1 µm film of molten material as a result of dynamic friction varies from 11 to 108 GPa for grain sizes of 100 to 10 µm.