Development of different inorganic materials, having the capacity to generate visible colors when excited in the infrared region, which can be used to determine the origin of explosives, fuses and ammunition, even after detonation, and in weapons and metal projectiles, thus serving as a safety marking tool thereof. The following were developed: LaNbO.sub.4 (called Mark1), BiVO.sub.4, Sr.sub.3V.sub.2O.sub.8 and YNbO.sub.4 (called Mark2), doped with different rare earth ions (erbium, ytterbium, holmium and thulium). The markers were physically inserted inside the explosives and in the gunpowder and by carburizing and forging in steel or metal alloy, with which the weapon or metal projectile is manufactured. The parameter used to demonstrate the presence of the markers in the products, after detonation or scraping of the weapon, was the verification of the color identity of the marker fluorescence, before and after, via laser in the infrared region.

A booster explosive (10) comprises a canister body 12 within which is a cap well (20) having disposed therein a detonator (24). A protective sleeve (28) encloses the cap well (20) except for that portion of the cap well, the active portion (20d), which encloses the explosive end section (24a) of detonator (24). The protective sleeve serves to attenuate the force of shock waves from nearby prior explosions acting on the detonator (24). An annular air space (32) may be provided between protective sleeve (28) and cap well (20) to further attenuate the force of such shock waves. Attenuation of the shock waves reduces the likelihood of damage to detonators (24) by prior nearby explosions.

High-density thermodynamically stable nanostructured copper-based metallic systems, and methods of making, are presented herein. A ternary high-density thermodynamically stable nanostructured copper-based metallic system includes: a solvent of copper (Cu) metal; that comprises 50 to 95 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system; a first solute metal dispersed in the solvent that comprises 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system; and a second solute metal dispersed in the solvent that comprises 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system. The internal grain size of the solvent is suppressed to no more than 250 nm at 98% of the melting point temperature of the solvent and the solute metals remain uniformly dispersed in the solvent at that temperature. Processes for forming these metallic systems include: subjecting powder metals to a high-energy milling process, and consolidating the resultant powder metal subjected to the milling to form a bulk material.

High-density thermodynamically stable nanostructured copper-based metallic systems, and methods of making, are presented herein. A ternary high-density thermodynamically stable nanostructured copper-based metallic system includes: a solvent of copper (Cu) metal; that comprises 50 to 95 atomic percent (at. %) of the metallic system; a first solute metal dispersed in the solvent that comprises 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system; and a second solute metal dispersed in the solvent that comprises 0.01 to 50 at. % of the metallic system. The internal grain size of the solvent is suppressed to no more than 250 nm at 98% of the melting point temperature of the solvent and the solute metals remain uniformly dispersed in the solvent at that temperature. Processes for forming these metallic systems include: subjecting powder metals to a high-energy milling process, and consolidating the resultant powder metal subjected to the milling to form a bulk material.

Provided is a modular directional charge system that can be assembled in different configurations depending on the target. The system includes a removable energetic material, a molded plastic shell comprising a main body and a front cover, a removable fragmentation insert, a removable breaching insert, an initiator well insert, and initiator adapter nuts. The main body comprises an internal energetic material receiving compartment, a first and second tripod mount, a threaded adapter, and a pair of pin receivers, while the front cover comprises an internal removable insert compartment. The main body and front cover are held together with a multi-position adjustable toothed locking interface that adjustably permits the cover to intimately contact the energetic material when the internal removable insert compartment contains a fragmentation insert, a breaching insert, or no insert at all. A method of use is also provided.

A booster explosive (10) comprises a canister body 12 within which is a cap well (20) having disposed therein a detonator (24). A protective sleeve (28) encloses the cap well (20) except for that portion of the cap well, the active portion (20d), which encloses the explosive end section (24a) of detonator (24). The protective sleeve serves to attenuate the force of shock waves from nearby prior explosions acting on the detonator (24). An annular air space (32) may be provided between protective sleeve (28) and cap well (20) to further attenuate the force of such shock waves. Attenuation of the shock waves reduces the likelihood of damage to detonators (24) by prior nearby explosions.

Development of different inorganic materials, having the capacity to generate visible colors when excited in the infrared region, which can be used to determine the origin of explosives, fuses and ammunition, even after detonation, and in weapons and metal projectiles, thus serving as a safety marking tool thereof. The following were developed: LaNbO.sub.4 (called Mark1), BiVO.sub.4, Sr.sub.3V.sub.2O.sub.8 and YNbO.sub.4 (called Mark2), doped with different rare earth ions (erbium, ytterbium, holmium and thulium). The markers were physically inserted inside the explosives and in the gunpowder and by carburizing and forging in steel or metal alloy, with which the weapon or metal projectile is manufactured. The parameter used to demonstrate the presence of the markers in the products, after detonation or scraping of the weapon, was the verification of the color identity of the marker fluorescence, before and after, via laser in the infrared region.

Provided is a modular directional charge system that can be assembled in different configurations depending on the target. The system includes a removable energetic material, a molded plastic shell comprising a main body and a front cover, a removable fragmentation insert, a removable breaching insert, an initiator well insert, and initiator adapter nuts. The main body comprises an internal energetic material receiving compartment, a first and second tripod mount, a threaded adapter, and a pair of pin receivers, while the front cover comprises an internal removable insert compartment. The main body and front cover are held together with a multi-position adjustable toothed locking interface that adjustably permits the cover to intimately contact the energetic material when the internal removable insert compartment contains a fragmentation insert, a breaching insert, or no insert at all. A method of use is also provided.

Provided is a modular directional charge system that can be assembled in different configurations depending on the target. The system includes a removable energetic material, a molded plastic shell comprising a main body and a front cover, a removable fragmentation insert, a removable breaching insert, an initiator well insert, and initiator adapter nuts. The main body comprises an internal energetic material receiving compartment, a first and second tripod mount, a threaded adapter, and a pair of pin receivers, while the front cover comprises an internal removable insert compartment. The main body and front cover are held together with a multi-position adjustable toothed locking interface that adjustably permits the cover to intimately contact the energetic material when the internal removable insert compartment contains a fragmentation insert, a breaching insert, or no insert at all. A method of use is also provided.

An injector can include an ignition device including a partition wall member forming a first space for housing a gunpowder and made from a rigid material to be destroyed by a rise in pressure in the first space in a case that the gunpowder is combusted. The actuator can also include a casing including a base portion being fixed to the actuator body near the ignition device, and being disposed in a space inside the actuator body covering the ignition device. The casing can define a second space between the casing and the partition wall member of the ignition device, and seal, inside the second space, a combustion product generated by combustion of the gunpowder by the ignition device. When pressure inside the second space arises due to combustion of the gunpowder, a portion of the casing can stretch to approach a predetermined end portion of the output piston portion.