Damage characteristics of polymer expansive jet based on the crater growth enhanced effect

Abstract

In this study, a polymer liner is applied to a shaped charge warhead, and the formed expansive jet exhibits a crater growth enhancement effect that can effectively damage the armored vehicle target. To examine the damage characteristics of polymer expansive jet, three polymer materials with different properties were selected, namely polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), nylon (PA), and polycarbonate (PC). The penetration results of light aluminum target and heavy steel target are analyzed via the SPH method and AUTODYN finite element software and verified via experiments. The results indicate that for light aluminum targets, the enlarged hole diameter of polymer expansive jet exceeds that of metal jets, and the penetration depth is lower than that of a metal jet. The results also suggest that the crater growth enhanced effect is more evident when the stand-off is small. With respect to high strength steel targets, the penetration ability of polymer expansive jet is limited. However, for low strength aluminum targets, the crater growth enhancement of the polymer expansive jet is reflected.