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Armor-Piercing Bullet Turned to Dust

posted by martyb on Tuesday April 10 2018, @11:37PM   Printer-friendly
from the Who's-afraid-of-the-big-bad-bomb? dept.

Runaway1956 writes:

Armor-Piercing Bullet Turned to Dust When Fired at Composite Metal Foam

Essentially a metal sponge consisting of hollow metal beads within solid metal, composite metal foam (CMF) generally retains some physical properties of its base materials. While its defining characteristic is ultra-high porosity, CMF boasts 5 to 6 times greater strength as well as over 7 times higher energy absorption than previously developed metal foams. Typically created by melting aluminum around hollow metal spheres, it is impressively 70% lighter than sheet metal and 80 times more energy absorbent than steel.

The foam is claimed to be non-toxic, resistant to radiation, fire and heat resistant.

http://www.breitbart.com/tech/2016/04/21/watch-armor-piercing-bullet-turned-to-dust-when-fired-at-composite-metal-foam/

Youtube video (13 seconds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWmFu-_54fI

Related video (2:30) demonstrates automotive and other applications https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uE_f9rXLlk

Slightly different coverage at https://newatlas.com/metal-foam-bullets/42731/

Another Youtube video, demonstrating an explosion - https://youtu.be/yMVEQh5Akcc

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday April 10 2018, @11:53PM (3 children)

    by Arik (4543) on Tuesday April 10 2018, @11:53PM (#665148) Journal
    Well I did a couple of quick searches and found some interesting reading material, but the one thing I don't see is a seller. Is this stuff commercially available? Will it be sometime soon? Any price points?

    Also I wonder what it's like to work with, how would you cut and shape it?

    Sounds like a fun substance to experiment with.
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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday April 11 2018, @01:32AM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday April 11 2018, @01:32AM (#665173) Journal

    Also I wonder what it's like to work with, how would you cut and shape it?

    Not by shooting bullets at it, no.

    (grin)

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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Wednesday April 11 2018, @02:33AM (1 child)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday April 11 2018, @02:33AM (#665195) Journal

    It seems to be shaped in a mold. Fill the mold full of these tiny steel hollow spheres, then pour in the aluminum. Some machining after the molding, yeah, but basically you have molded parts.

    Cutting shouldn't be a problem. Any saw blade that can cut aluminum can probably cut this stuff. Expect some fouling, due to the little steel balls. They don't get very specific about the size of the hollow spheres, but I expect that your cuts will be a little rough. Unlike ceramic or similar armor, this stuff isn't especially hard. It relies on the little hollow spheres being crushed to absorb and distribute energy.

    • (Score: 2) by Arik on Wednesday April 11 2018, @03:37AM

      by Arik (4543) on Wednesday April 11 2018, @03:37AM (#665219) Journal
      Molds. I can work with molds. >:)
      --
      If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?