Time-Resolved Penetration into Pre-Damaged, In-Situ Comminuted, and Compacted Powder Silicon Carbide
Abstract
We have conducted a series of experiments to examine projectile penetration of cylindrical silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic targets that are pre-damaged to varying degrees under controlled laboratory conditions prior to ballistic testing. SiC was thermally shocked to introduce non-contiguous cracks. Another set of targets was thermally shocked and then additional damage was induced by load-unload cycling in an MTS machine while the ceramic specimen was confined in a 7075-T6 aluminum sleeve. Finally, targets were made by compacting SiC powder into a 7075-T6 aluminum sleeve. For each of these target types, long gold rod penetration was measured as a function of impact velocity vp over the approximate range of 1-3 km/s, with most data between 1.5 and 3 km/s. Penetration as a function of time was measured using multiple independently timed flash X-rays. Results are compared to previous results for non-damaged (intact) SiC targets. Key results from these experiments include the following: 1) penetration is nominally steady state for vp > 1.5 km/s; 2) for all target types, the penetration velocity u is a linear function of vp, (except for the lowest impact velocities); and 3) it is found that uintact < u pre-damaged < u in-situ comminuted < u powder < u hydrodynamic.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 31, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA594316
Entities
People
- Arthur E. Nicholls
- Charles E. Anderson Jr.
- Dennis L. Orphal
- Matthias Wickert
- Thilo Behner
- Volker Hohler
Organizations
- Southwest Research Institute