Dynamic consolidation of tungsten wire bundles

A novel processing technique has been developed that permits the fabrication of tungsten rods 7 mm in diameter or larger with the superior mechanical properties usually observed only in fine drawn wire. The process dynamically consolidates fine wires into a larger rod using shock waves to densify and bond the wires together with only a minimal increase in bulk temperature, thus preserving the original properties. A tube of explosive surrounding the wire bundle provides a high intensity compression wave as detonation sweeps down the axis of the assembly. High-strain-rate deformation closes the voids between individual wires and bonding occurs by melting and resolidification of a very thin surface layer. Numerical modeling was employed to select the experimental parameters. Model vs. experiment comparisons are presented as well as hardness of the wire vs. the consolidated bundle.