Fragmentation Properties of Explosively Driven Additively Manufactured 15-5 PH Stainless Steel Cylinders

摘要

Fragmentation properties are a crucial component of military weaponeering, where the fundamental goal is to create the optimal weapons package for mission accomplishment, while minimizing collateral damage. Additive manufacturing presents an avenue towards tailoring a warhead's design to a specific target set, allowing weapons experts to develop efficient attack solutions, further reducing unintended consequences, while improving aircraft survivability. Understanding the fragmentation properties of additively manufactured materials under explosive loading is needed before the manufacturing technique is integrated into weaponry design. This research characterized the fracture behavior of detonating additively manufactured cylinders and compared experimental fragment velocities with theoretical Gurney equation predictions. The additively manufactured cylinders' interlayer bonding successfully endured explosive loadings, but reduced material ductility caused by processing-related defects decreased casing expansion performance.