The Effect of Surface Electroplating on Fragment Deformation Behavior When Subjected to Contact Blasts

Preformed fragments can deform or even fracture when subjected to contact blasts, which might lead to a reduction of the terminal effect. Therefore, to solve this problem, the effect of surface electroplating on the fragment deformation behavior under contact blasts was analyzed. Firstly, blast recovery tests were carried out on uncoated and coated fragments. After the contact blast, the two samples produced different deformation behaviors: the uncoated fragments were fractured, while the coated fragments maintained integrity. The tests were simulated by finite element simulation, and the deformation behavior of the different samples matched well with the test results, which can explain the protective effect of the coating after quantification. In order to further reveal the dynamic behavior involved, detonation wave theory and shock wave transmission theory in solids were used to calculate the pressure amplitude variation at the far-exploding surface of the fragments. The theoretical results showed that the pressure amplitude of the uncoated samples instantly dropped to zero after the shock wave passed through the far-exploding surface, which resulted in the formation of a tensile zone. But the pressure amplitude of the coated samples increased, transforming the tensile zone into the compression zone, thereby preventing the fracture of the fragment near the far-exploding surface, which was consistent with the test and simulated results. The test results, finite element simulations, and theories show that the coating can change the deformation behavior of the fragment and prevent the fracture phenomenon of the fragment. It also prevents the material from missing and a molten state of the fragment in the radial direction by microscopic observation and weight statistics.