PENETRATION DATA FOR A MEDIUM CALIBER TUNGSTEN SINTER ALLOY PENETRATOR INTO ALUMINUM ALLOY 7020 IN THE VELOCITY REGIME FROM 250 M/S TO 1900 M/S

摘要

Penetration data over a wide velocity range are of general interest for the ballistic research community. An important material class for light vehicle structures are aluminum alloys. Aluminum Alloy 7020 has been chosen to examine the semi-infinite penetration of a tungsten sinter alloy medium caliber type penetrator in the wide velocity regime from 250 m/s to 1900 m/s.Three response regions are identified. Rigid body penetration is observed up to 700 m/s with the onset of plastic deformation of the penetrator's frustrum nose. A maximum depth of penetration of 1.4 of the penetrator's length is measured before the transition to hydrodynamic penetration with irregular shaped broad penetration craters sets in. Between 700 m/s and 1000 m/s a drastic drop up to 40% of the depth of penetration is observed due to strong bending of the penetration craters and the fragmentation of the penetrator. A penetration of 1.4 of the penetrator's length is exceeded again beyond impact.