Quantitative analysis of debris from SiC-fiber-reinforced aluminum-alloy targets impacted by spherical projectiles

Silicon-carbide-continuous-fiber-reinforced aluminum matrix composite targets were impacted with duralumin projectiles at velocities from 2.9 km/s to 4.3 km/s. The debris from the composite targets was monitored by flash, soft x-ray radiography. The spatial distribution of the leading half of the debris were quantified in terms of mass, velocity, and kinetic energy and compared with that of debris from monolithic aluminum-alloy targets. A material effect on the debris production was found through the experiment so that fragments from the composite targets were smaller in mass and size, but more in number than those from the monolithic bumper. An increase of the impact velocity brought the enhancement of fragmentation in the leading edge part of the debris produced from both the composite and the monolithic targets in comparison with lower velocity impacts. The 4.3 km/s impact for the composite gave the spatial densities of debris mass and kinetic energy biased toward the periphery of the debris cloud, while other lower velocity impacts gave the different densities biased toward a gun axis. Such peripheral distribution of debris was found at an impact velocity of 3.5 km/s for the monolithic target. In the present velocity range, the composite debris always exhibited its larger peripheral distribution than the monolithic one did.