Abstract. During the electrical explosion of bridge-wires and bridge-foils, the metal bridge undergoes rapid resistive-heating. The metal is rapidly expanded through solid, liquid, vapour and plasma phases. This study uses ALEGRA MHD, a Sandia National Laboratory magneto-hydrocode, to predict the formation of these metallic phases during the explosion process and determine the effects of surface heterogeneities on the spatial distribution of these phases. The simulations are compared against x-ray phase contrast radiographs of electrically exploded bridge-foils. From comparison of these data, it is evident that the meso-structure of the metallic foil dominates the explosion process and is something that should be controlled during the manufacturing processes for detonator designs.
Many ceramic materials are inert to molten plutonium, but fragility and porosity of ceramic crucibles make them impractical for use in the plutonium foundry. Oxidized tantalum crucibles are inert to pure plutonium and to some of the low-melting -point alloys of plutonium. T'o take advantage of the ruggedness of metal crucibles, ceramic coatings inert to plutonium alloys at high temperatures that can be applied to metal or graphite crucibles and molds were developed. This report describes these coatings arid the processes by which they are applied.
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