Abstract: A method for producing an energistic porous warhead casing comprises the steps of mixing aluminum and magnesium powders in an Al:Mg weight ratio from about 22:78 to about 28:72, isostatically pressing said powders to form a preform of appropriate shape and with a density from about 20 to about 40 percent of the theoretical density, and heating said preform in an inert atmosphere at a temperature from 350 C to about 425 C until the density reaches 60 to 70 percent of the theoretical density.

Abstract: A conical sector shock tube generates a sector of a classical diverging spherical shock wave which emanates radially from an effective point source in a non-focusing but highly directional manner. A compression front having a radius of curvature equal to its separation from the apex of the sector shock tube defines the leading edge of a "cap shock" of accurately controllable and predictable intensity. A trailing rarefaction front of the cap shock is defined by the diffraction caused by the rim of the sector shock tube. The rarefaction front progressively erodes the cap shock as it is projected toward the target calculus, defining the width and duration of the propagating cap shock. The cap shock uniformly pulverizes the target calculus in a comparatively small quantity of shock wave applications, as compared with the larger (two orders of magnitude greater) number of shots employed in known ellipsoidal focused shock wave methods.