Benefits of Using Lode Angle Dependent Fracture Models to Predict Ballistic Limits of Armor Steel

Abstract

Ductile fracture experiments are carried out at different stress states, strain rates and temperatures on a range of flat Mars 300 steel specimens to calibrate both a plasticity and a fracture model. To predict the onset of fracture a stress state and strain rate-dependent Hosford–Coulomb fracture initiation model is used. Single material impact experiments are performed on targets of homogenous and perforated Mars 300 plates by accelerating cylindrical Mars 300 impactors in a single-stage gas gun. It is shown that the chosen modeling approach allows accurate modeling of the plastic response as well as the fracture patterns.