The Mechanical Properties and Penetration Characteristics of Al/W Reactive Materials

doi:10.12382/bgxb.2025.0529

Abstract

Abstract:

In order to study the mechanical properties and penetration characteristics of aluminum/tungsten (Al/W) reactive materials, Al/W reactive materials specimens were prepared by compression molding and sintering, and quasi-static/dynamic compression experiments, and ballistic gun experiments of Al/W reactive fragment penetrating the steel target were conducted. The mechanical properties and penetration characteristics of Al/W reactive materials were obtained by experiments, and the formula for predicting the ballistic terminal velocity of Al/W reactive fragments was provided based on one-dimensional shock wave theory. Combined with the high-speed photographic images of Al/W reactive fragment penetrating the steel target, the energy release characteristics of Al/W reactive fragment at different penetration speeds are qualitatively analyzed by image recognition technology. The results show that, the dynamic stress-strain curves of Al/W reactive materials show elastic-plastic deformation characteristics and obvious strain rate effects. When Al/W reactive fragment penetrate the target plate, a large amount of energy is released through the chemical reaction, and the energy release intensity and time are significantly enhanced. Compared with titanium (Ti) fragments of similar density, the high-temperature effect significantly enhance the damage capability of Al/W reactive fragment against the target plate.

Key words: Al/W reactive material, mechanical property, energy release characteristics, ballistic limit velocity

ZHANG Lizhong, REN Huilan, LI Jianqiao, LI Wei. The Mechanical Properties and Penetration Characteristics of Al/W Reactive Materials[J]. Acta Armamentarii, 2025, 46(10): 250529-.

Figures/Tables 23

Fig.1 Al/W reactive material preparation

Fig.2 Sintering temperature curve of Al/W reactive materials

Fig.3 Microstructure of Al/W reactive materials

Fig.4 Waveform signals of SHPB experiment

Fig.5 Schematic diagram of ballistic impact test

Table 1 Mechanical properties parameters of the fragment

材料	尺寸/ mm×mm	密度/ (kg·m^-3)	质量/ g	弹性模量/ GPa
Al/W	φ5×5	4950	0.49	2.07
Ti	φ5×5	4500	0.44	105

Table 2 Mechanical properties parameters of the target plate

材料	尺寸/ mm×mm×mm	密度/ (kg·m^-3)	弹性模量/GPa
Q235钢	500×500×5	7850	206

Fig.6 Fragments and bullets

Fig.7 Experimental site layout

Fig.8 Stress-strain curves of Al/W reactive materials at different strain rates

Table 3 Dynamic mechanical properties of Al/W reactive materials

材料	应变率/s^-1	屈服强度/MPa	塑性硬化模量/MPa
	1190	135.5	302.1
Al/W	1580	162.0	156.6
	1890	165.9	148.7
	2540	186.7	-

Table 4 Experimental results of fragment penetrating steel target

破片类型	撞击速度/ (m·s^-1)	撞击动能/J	弹坑深度/mm	弹坑直径/mm
Al/W	535	69.6	0.38	5.21
Al/W	588	84.0	0.72	5.38
Al/W	678	111.7	0.97	5.63
Al/W	758	139.6	2.14	6.02
Al/W	1189	343.5	5.30	8.14
Al/W	1333	431.8	6.09	9.21
Al/W	1435	500.4	穿透	9.92
Al/W	1498	545.3	穿透	9.81
Al/W	1796	790.2	穿透	9.62
Ti	884	171.9	1.86	6.88
Ti	1136	283.9	2.66	8.04
Ti	1343	396.8	3.97	8.67
Ti	1630	584.5	4.84	8.90

Fig.9 Crater and penetration morphology

Fig.10 Crater morphology of 1189m/s

Fig.11 Variations in crater diameter and depth with kinetic energy

Fig.12 Schematic diagram of fragment impacting target plate

Table 5 Calculation parameters

参数	数值	参数	数值
D_p/mm	5	D_t	1.9D_p
ρ_p/(kg·m^-3)	4950	ρ_t/(kg·m^-3)	4500
m_p/g	0.49	m_t/g	0.44
h_p/mm	5	h_t/mm	5
C_p/(m·s^-1)	646	C_t/(m·s^-1)	4569
s_p	1.28	s_t	1.49
G_t/GPa	77	ΔH/(kJ/g)	11.21
K_C/(MPa·m^0.5)	18.2	τ_ud/MPa	500

Table 6 Calculation results and experimental results

数据来源	破片材料	弹道极限速度/(m·s^-1)
实验值	Al/W	1333~1435
计算值	Al/W	1355

Fig.13 High-speed photographic images of Al/W reactive fragment impacting on steel target

Fig.14 High-speed photographic images of Ti fragment impacting on steel target at 1343m/s

Fig.15 High-speed photographic image processing(Al/W、1796m/s)

Fig.16 The cumulative brightness variation within the fire-illuminated region

Fig.17 Microstructure of crater profile

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