1. Introduction

Conventional fragmentation methods involve subjecting the solid to be fragmented to a stress created by contact forces. The resulting stress field is generally anisotropic and a function of the material's intrinsic parameters, the number and direction of the forces, and the strain rate.

• Fragmentation device technology takes the following parameters into account.

  • Intrinsic material parameters

    They determine its behavior during deformation. The stress field to which the solid is subjected plays on discontinuities to initiate and propagate cracks, the distribution of which determines the size and shape of the fragments and the nature of the newly created surfaces.

  • Energy required to fracture the material...