PERFORMANCE AND PRODUCTION OF JACKETED PENETRATORS HAVING DIFFERENT JACKET THICKNESSES

摘要

Jacketed penetrators of mid calibre type have been produced by explosivecladding of various jackets on two different kinds of tungsten heavy alloy(WHA) rods. The jackets, of different thicknesses, were made of steel-37,stainless steel 316L, titanium grade (2,3) and pure titanium grade 2. Thejacket increased the flexural rigidity of the core rod with a factor 2 – 9.5.Sabots and propellants to fire these penetrators were produced as well.These jacketed and monolithic WHA penetrators were fired with penetratorvelocities of about 1300 m/s on a layered target consisting ofsteel/rubber/steel of 3 mm thickness each and steel hardness HB 480. Thepenetrator condition was recorded with flash radiography. Thin jackets,increasing the flexural rigidity of core penetrator with a factor two, werenot sufficiently stiff to perforate the layered target intact. Thicker jacketsimproved the jacketed penetrator condition, which means a less fragmentedpenetrator.