An experimental investigation of the vapor explosion phenomena using a molten-metal jet injected into distilled water

A small diameter jet of molten metal was injected horizontally into a tank of distilled water, which acted as the quenching fluid. The four types of metal that were used as samples were mercury, Asarcolo 158 (a low-melting-temperature fusible alloy), an alloy consisting of 50-percent lead and 50-percent tin, and tin. The investigation demonstrated that neither a solidified shell nor vapor generation is necessary for a so called "vapor explosion" to occur. An unpublished theory that thermal shock is the causative mechanism of the "vapor explosion" is presented along with supporting evidence in this dissertation.