Development of Shock Absorbing Barrier Materials for High Performance Magazine Construction

To prevent sympathetic detonation in a high performance magazine, barriers between stacks of munitions absorb donor fragments. Acceptor munitions may still initiate on impact of barrier debris or on being thrown into the walls of the magazine itself. These shocks can be reduced to a safe level by increasing the barrier's mass which reduces its velocity and the imparted shock. In addition a porous outer lining material shields the acceptors from the heavier barriers and the magazine's walls. The acceleration forces on munitions during lining penetration are a function of the compressive strength and density of the lining and the mass, interaction area and velocity of the impacting munitions. The strength of the porous lining must be tailored so acceleration forces do not reach shock loading and yet providing sufficient deceleration so the thickness of the porous lining can be reduced. A high porosity in the lining is important, since the dynamic strength of the material will govern the impact loading until all the porosity is crushed out. Therefor high porosity at the optimum compressive strength will produce the most efficient lining system. A porous light-weight inorganic material that satisfies these performance criteria has been successfully tested. This material will be compared to a new system under development. The new material's reduced cost allows large scale use in magazine construction. The new system can be pre-fabricated or placed by standard methods. The new lining is also being considered as a replacement for concrete in structural elements in the high performance magazine and general construction.