Abstract
An extrusion tool is described, in which the pressure developed by burning blackpowder in confinement in oil is used to extrude aluminium and copper billets. The tool is essentially a thick-walled steel tube, at one end of which is an extrusion die and at the other end a steel sealing plug supported by a large breech screw. A nosed billet is seated in the mouth of the die with a charge of low explosive material placed at some distance behind it, all remaining free space being occupied by oil. Upon igniting the charge electrically, the oil is pressurized and extrusion takes place under conditions of good lubrication.
The way in which the length of billet extruded varies with the weight of charge is demonstrated and displacement-time histories of extruded billets are included. Sealing and other problems encountered in the work are discussed.
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