Experimental Evidence For Sulfur Induced Loss Of Ductility In Copper Shaped-Charge Jets

We have observed that a change in the bulk sulfur content of oxygen-free electronic copper markedly affects its high temperature (400–1000°C), high strain-rate (> 103 s−1) deformation and fracture behavior. These conditions are typical of those found in "jets" formed from the explosive deformation of copper shaped-charge liners. Specifically, an increase in the bulk sulfur concentration from 4 ppm to 8 ppm shortens the breakup time, tb, of the copper jets by nearly 20% as measured using flash x-ray radiographs recorded during breakup of the jets. At bulk concentrations of 4 ppm, the jet was observed to be uniform and axisymmetric with a breakup time of 186 µs. Jet particles exhibited length-to-diameter ratios of roughly 8:1. The addition of sulfur transformed the jet breakup behavior to non-uniform, non-axisymmetric rupture and reduced the breakup time to 147 µs. The length-to-diameter ratios decreased to roughly 5:1 in the sulfurdoped samples. Previously measured sulfur solubilities and diffusivities in copper at the temperatures where this material was processed indicates nearly all of the sulfur was localized to grain boundaries. Therefore, we infer that the increase in sulfur content at grain boundaries is directly responsible for the change in breakup performance of the shaped-charge jets.