Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments, shortened to frags, although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments. The fragments, as mentioned previously, can also be preformed and of various shapes (spheres, cubes, etc) and sizes. Preformed fragments are normally held rigidly within some form of matrix, or body until the HE filling is detonated. The resulting high velocity fragments produced by either method are the main lethality mechanisms of these weapons. The word shrapnel is often erroneously used to describe these fragments, but is technically incorrect. True shrapnel can only come from a specific type of shell, the shrapnel shell, which doesn't rely on a high explosive to shatter the casing. A World War I era shrapnel shell uses a small (black) powder charge in the base of the shell to expel the fuze and contained lead or chilled iron shot at a relatively low velocity, 200 m/s (700 ft/s). The expulsion, at a predetermined time and height above the target area, is controlled by a time fuze. Due to their low velocity, the shot, unlike the fragments produced by a detonating HE munition, are really only effective against human targets, they are not effective against material, or armor. Artillery with Gabion fortification Cannons on display at Fort Point Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Firing of an 18-pound gun, Louis-Philippe Crepin, (1772 – 1851) A forge-welded Iron Cannon in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. ... A shell is a projectile, which, as opposed to a bullet, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage includes large solid projectiles previously termed shot (AP, APCR, APCNR, APDS, APFSDS and Proof shot). ... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb produced in the United States. ... Grenade may refer to: The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... Detonation is a process of supersonic combustion that involves a shock wave and a reaction zone behind it. ... This article is concerned solely with chemical explosives. ... A sectioned Shrapnel shell displayed at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa For other uses, see Shrapnel (disambiguation). ... A sectioned Shrapnel shell displayed at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa For other uses, see Shrapnel (disambiguation). ... A sectioned Shrapnel shell displayed at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa For other uses, see Shrapnel (disambiguation). ... This article is becoming very long. ... Black powder was the original gunpowder and practically the only known propellant and explosive until the middle of the 19th century. ... Fuze is a brand of beverage. ... For Pb as an abbreviation, see Pb. ... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ... Fuze is a brand of beverage. ...