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PREFACE This report is the result of research conducted by the Air Force Armament Laboratory, ~Zllli+lllGllA-a---& L UCn,..,,” c2Lemma”pIGIIL”+ QIIU“_A T-c+.TJ c ~~,1C~~,PnTXf a.#. Eglir! Air Force Base, Florida, from October 1977 to October 1978 under Air Force Exploratory Development Project 06CDOlOl. Reference to specific manufacturers or suppliers of scientific equipment used in this study is for the sole purpose of identification 3 ,-_ . ana aoeS TiOt CGiiStit’tite ~IL\LVI~~~~~L~a-a,.e.raman+ VIAC the nrrwhrrtcy*“Yubbcl hvu, the llni“..A td“VW _State< “_“__ Air Force. This report has been reviewed by the Information Office (01) and is releasable to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). At NTIS, it will be available to the general public, including foreign nations. This tichnical report has been reviewed and is approved for publication. FOR THE COMMANDER FARMER Chief, Environics Office _- -. J i (The reverse of this page is blank) .- i -.7 .- - . 1 . .. - : TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Title Page I LnlnuuuLlLud . , . 1 II MATERIALSAND METHODS. 2 III RESULTS......................... 3 AirborneParticles ................... 6 ParticlesIsolated from Soil Samples .......... 13 ParticleComposition .... = ............ 13 IV TECHNICALSUMMARY. ................... 18 REFERENCES. 20 F- _-. iii A‘ i LIST OF FIGURES Figure Title Page 1 Diagram of Firing Site: Ford Farm Firing Range, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. 3 2 Overhead Diagram of Target . 4 3 Typical X-Ray Energy Spectrum Resulting from the Bombardment of a Depleted Uranium and Iron Particle with a 25 kV Electron Beam. .’ i . S 4 Overall View of Airborne Particles Collected on Double- Stick Tape at Sample Site 3; Bar Represents 55.5 ~.lm.. 7 5 Dual Magnification (3X) of Airborne Particle Showing Convoluted Surface Pattern and Fusion of Concave Surface Plates; Small Bar Represents 5 p at Lower Magnification . 7 6 Dual Magnification (5X) of Airborne Particle Depicting Surface Fracturing; Small Bar Represents 5 funat Lower Magnification. z . 9 7 Demonstration of Particle Breakup as a Result of Inherent Fragility; Small Bar Represents 5 pm . 9 3 8 Dual Magnification (SX) of Polycrystalline Particle Consisting Primarily of Iron; Small Bar Represents S urn at Lower Magnification . 10 9 Hollow Particle Demonstrating Variable Wall Thickness; Bar Represents S p. 10 lo--- J 'Perforated, Hollow Sphere; Bar at Right Represents S um. 11 11 - Several Airborne Particles Demonstrating Surface Coverage by Ultrafine Particulates; Bar at Right Represents 5 um. 11 12 Dual Magnification (10X) of a Depleted_ .-. Uranium. and Iron Particle; Bar Represents 55.5 pm ai Lower Magnification . 12 13 Flaring of an Ultrafine Aggregate from the Surface of an Airborne Particle Shown in Dual Magnification (3X); Bar at Right Represents 5 um Lower Magnification . 12 14 Ultrafine Particulates on the Surface of Depleted Uranium . Particles Showing Interconnecting Thread; Bar at Right Represents S pm. 14 15 Concentric Pattern of Free Ultrafine Particulates on .* Double-Stick Tape; Bar Represents 55.5 pm. 14 16 High Magnification,Showing Aggregation of Ultrafine Particles; Gap Between Bars Represents 0.5 pm. 1s ) iv . -.-- . _ __. .__ _. _ LIST OF FIGURES (CONCLUDED) Figure Title Page 17 Soil Particlesof Density GreaterThan 4.3 Which Passed Through a 12 funPolycarbonate Nuclepore Membrane; Bar Represents55.5 w . 15 18 Dual Magnification(10X) of Soil ParticlesRevealing Both SphericalParticles and Fragments;Bar Represents 55.5 w at Lower Magnification. 16 19 Knobby Soil Particle;Gap Between Bars Represents0.5 llm. 16 20 Dual Magnification(5X) of ParticleBreakup Due to lS-SecondExposure to Ultrasound;Bar, Represents 55.5 w at Lower Magnification. 17 (The reverse of th:s page is blank) 1 : . -1” SECTION I INTRODUCTION Development'ofhigh-density, armor-piercing munitions has led to wide- spread use of metallicdepleted uranium by the armed services. Notable weapons employingdepleted uranium includethe Air Force GAU-8, the Army Xl4 774 and M735E1, and the PHALANX gun systems. Armor-piercingmunitions are specificallydesigned to defeat armored targets throughprimary impact of a high-density,nonexplosive core or 'penetrator.Using depleteduranium as the penetratormaterial, fire is realizedas a secondarydamage-mechanism due to the pyrophoric*nature of the depleteduranium projectile which bursts into burning fragmentsupon impact with armor. It was the objectiveof this work to study the nature and formationof these fragmentsand to describethe particulateswhich are generatedas a result of the physicalbreakup and the vigorousoxidation of idepleteduranium. Scanningelectron microscope techniques coupled with energy dispersiveX-ray spectroscopywere used to determinethe morphological characteristicsof the particulatematerial. Emphasiswas placed on deter- mining the size range, crystallinestructure, and stabilityof the resulting 'particles. Informationobtained from this study will be useful in future assessmentsconcerning the impact of depleteduranium munitionson the environment. The data will also be valuable in understandingand providing for protectionof personnelassociated with testing and operationaluse of this type of weaponry. It is anticipatedthat the results of these Aberdeen tests will provide insightin understandingthe events which occur during 30 mm testing at Eglin Air Force Base. ._ -. *Popularusage of the term pyrophorichas led to its acceptancefor de- scribingthis high-densitymetal (depleteduranium) since, at high velocity, it spontaneouslyignites and burns upon impact with armor. 1 SECTION .-m*MATPPTAT LI..~rtY” C 6-u.”Ahln Depleteduranium particulatesamples studied in this report were ob- tained followingtest firingsof the Army 105 mm XM 774 antitankround at the -_ Ford Farm Firing Range,‘Aberdeen Proving Ground, MU during October 1977. The rounds were test fired against spaced armor targets from a distanceof approximately200 meters. Penetratorsconsisted of 3.5 kg alloyeddepleted uranium containing0.75 percent titaniumby weight. A diagramof the firing . site and an overheadview of the target area are shown in Figures 1 and 2 (courtesyof BattellePacific Northwest Laboratories), respectively. Air sample collectorswere positionedat three locationsadjacent to the target butt; site 1 was directlyeast and approximately2 meters above ground level; site 2 was 4 meters south and 2 meters above ground level; and site 3 was 1.5 meters west and 2 meters above ground level. Soil sam- ples were collecteddirectly beneath and behind the target plates. Airborneparticles were collectedon double-stickcellophane tape. Cut portionsof the tape were placed on carbon coated aluminumstubs (15 mm in diameter)and coated with 100 percent gold in an InternationalScientific _. InstrumentPS-2 SputterCoater. 3 All soil sampleswere sieved througha 400 mesh (37 um opening)screen to eliminatelarge particulatematerial, Only that fractionwhich passed through the 400 mesh screen was used for subsequentanalyses. Selected sampleswere passed through a 12 um pore diameter,hydrophobically treated NucleoporeMembrane, to concentrateparticles in the respirablerange. cievina qjergticns, supples were cenj-rif*dged at 5(jfi qfi ix Followingthee ---= “‘6 an-aqueoussolution of thalliumformate-thallium malonate (density4.3). Particleswith a density greater than that of the fluid medium were collected at the bottom of the tube. This high densityparticulate material was then trappedon 0.4 um pore diameterNucleopore membranes. After repeated washingswith distilledwater, the membraneswere air dried, placed on carbon coated aluminumstubs, and coated with 100 percent gold as previously described. Particulatematerials were examinedin an InternationalScientific InstrumentSuper III A ScanningElectron Microscope at an accelerating voltage of 25 kV. Elementalcomposition of the particles (to 0.5 um in . diameter)was identifiedwith either a Kevex 5500 or Kevex 5100 X-Ray Energy Spectrometerwith a detectorresolution of 146 eV. Specimentilt angles varied from a 0- to 45-degreetilt. Uranium was identifiedby its -. Ma and ME X-ray peaks at 3.17 keV and 3.33 keV, respectively. A typical X-ray spectrumis illustratedin Figure 3. The MLK marker (whitebar) iden- tifies the Melpeak for uranium. Additionalpeaks representedin the spectrum are aluminum (Ka 1.48 keV), gold (Mcc2.12 keV), titanium (KCY4.51 keV), and iron (Kcr6.40 keV, KB 7.06 keV). 3 2 . A’ i I Roofed Catd ler Soil Samples :h Tape Bombproof Building Samples 4 ( 6 Feet High - I 8 Feet High Bombproof Building I - -i l&l I BombDroof Building Site 3 Site 1 I Long . c Figure 2. Overhead Diagram of Target Area 3 4 .-. r. Figure 3. Typical X-Ray Energy Spectrum Resulting from the Bombardment of a Staballoy and Tron c >-. Particle with a 25 kV Electron Beam SECTIONIII RESULTS AIRBORNEPARTICLES As shown in Figure 4, impaction of 105 mm depleted uranium penetrators against multiple armor plate targets resulted in the formation of large numbers of airborne particulates. At this relatively low magnification, it was apparent that particulate material was generated over an extremely broad size range, i.e., from macro fragments at diameters greater than 50 urn to submicron particulate aerosols. Other than sheared or broken fragments, most of the particles observed were either spherical or ellipsoidal in shape, indicating sufficient heat generation following impaction to cause the for- mation of molten uranium and uranium oxides. The extreme temperature re- quired for melting, in excess of 1133’C (Reference l), undoubtedly resulted