-=> Quoting Don Shoebridge to Turiyan Gold <=-
 TG> DS> Actualy, the 20mm DU round has a thick jacket to protect the barrel.
 TG> DS> I beleive the jacket is aluminum.  Their made using *spent uranium 
fue
 TG>Hmm, Aluminum flashes at high velocity, IE: friction (Thermite).
 DS> Thermite is Aluminum?  I don't think so.  The Aluminum may get hot and
 DS> melt just from the conversion of energy, but I don't think that it
 DS> would *FLASH* like an incenderary round.  An incenderary round has a
 DS> magnesium alloy type of core and will flash/burn on impact, very much
 DS> like that of a depleted uranium round (but without as much destructive
 DS> force and no radiation).  What you maybe thinking of is a White
 DS> Phosphours (WP) round.  That is a WP core with an aluminum jacket.
 DS> When the projectile impacts an object, the jacket either breaks up or
 DS> peels open exposing the WP which will begin burning as soon as it's
 DS> exposed to the air. Ground crews don't like to mess with those too much
 DS> because the jacket is preaty thin and has been know to go off when
 DS> loading it into the drum magizines of aircraft (ie., 20mm, 25mm, 30mm).
 The only difference (that I can recall) between the different "C" explosive 
compounds is the percentage of Al. I believe flash powder contains a high 
percentage of aluminum. In fact, the "pyro" grind which is very finely 
divided, took the place of Mg in pyrotechnics in the 20's or before.
 I quote from _Pyrotechnics_ by George W. Weingart, regarding the pyro Al...
"...a star of unusual brilliance could be produced by the use of magnesium, 
that metal came into considerable demand inspite of the cost of $75.00 a 
pound. Later, however, it was found that aluminum was in every way better and 
could be obtained  for about $.60 a pound..."
He continues...
"Besides increasing the report, it gives a startlingly bright flash to the 
explosion. Being unaffected by water, it is much safer than magnesium, but 
care must be used in handling it because, as previously mentioned, all finely 
divided metals are liable to explode when in contact with oxygen producing 
chemicals."
 It flashes.
... Anything you say will be misquoted and used against you. ___ Blue 
Wave/QWK v2.12 
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