Can someone explain why exactly the US uses depleted uranium? Tungsten is denser, cheaper, like way more heavily mined and not an obvious health risk.
Tungsten is almost impossible to forge. To my knowledge, the only “shell” that uses it is the bunker-buster bomb. It can really only be milled/machined with any reliability… DU is “dense enough” for the intended application and (comparably) cost effective.
Yeah makes sense, I was wondering if it had to do with Tungsten’s harness/MP
Yup… a tungsten billet has to be heated to point where it begins vaporize (this is considered the MP, but I’ve only ever seen it vaporize. And by seen, I don’t mean look at, it’s bright like the sun) At these temperatures it also becomes a brittle ceramic and is prone to cracking. Lots of scrap to get one good piece that can then be machined to net form.
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/what-are-depleted-uranium-weapons-what-are-risks-2023-03-23/
Depleted uranium is self-sharpening and flammable, two desirable characteristics not found in tungsten
yea its not just about the density, du has better rha equivalent penetration because of the self sharpening and the flammability makes a big difference as regards to post penetration damage.
i personally cant agree with people saying the point of du is to irradiate civilian populations. i don’t think its much of a stretch to say that armies think ~30mm extra penetration or whatever is worth giving civilians birth defects, which is a world of difference from choosing it because of those effects. thats still evil, just a different, more callous type of evil.
