PROTECTIVE POWER OF 'LOW-COST' TITANIUM AGAINST MEDIUMCALIBER LONG-ROD PENETRATORS

摘要

The USA/European producer TIMET has proposed to use his "low-cost" titanium for light-armor applications. The ballistic protection performance of differently thick blocks of this titanium has been investigated in depth-of-penetration experiments with medium-caliber tungsten heavy-alloy long rods (D = 8 mm, L/D = 20) at impact velocities from 1500 m/s to 2000 m/s. Ballistic equivalence factors are used to quantify the thickness-dependent protective power. The velocity j dependent penetration is approached by the Lanz-Odermatt Function. Measured and calculated time dependent penetration curves are presented. These results are compared to those of the Ti-6Al-4V material produced by RMI in the United States. It has turned out that the ballistic results of both materials do not significantly differ.