Response of simulated propellant and explosives to projectile impact—II. Fragmentation

This paper is the second of a series concerned with the penetration and perforation phenomena in two types of propellant and explosive simulant, named Propergol, due to the impact at normal incidence of both blunt and conically-tipped steel strikers. The collision results in fragmentation, plug formation and generation of a cloud of debris that includes particles of measurable dimensions traveling with significant velocities. Both the fragment size and area as well as the ejecta mass are determined experimentally as a function of Propergol specimen thickness and impact velocity or energy. The cumulative number of fragments as a function of size for the Propergol is uniformly found to be a bi-linear semi-logarithmic relationship with the bifurcation occurring at the mean crystal radius. Individual crystals and the crater generated are examined by means of a scanning electron microscope.

A phenomenological model of the fragmentation process is constructed, based on an assumed spherical shape of the fragments and the bi-linear fragment distribution, using energy methods. This is combined with a perforation analysis that considers the process to be sequentially composed of initial indentation, fragmentation, and sliding and deflection of the Propergol disks. An evaluation of this model providing fragment volumes as a function of impact velocity is compared with experimental results and found to be in good agreement.