Hypersonic impact of 1 millimeter aluminum projectiles on a diamond composite target (VIDEO)

Texas A&M University

Caption

Researchers fire aluminum projectiles traveling nearly eight times the speed of sound at a diamond-composite target. The impact triggers a rapid transformation: portions of the ultra-hard diamond composite turned into graphite, a softer form of carbon that helped absorb, dissipate and redistribute the force of the hypersonic projectiles.

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Texas A&M University Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory

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