High-velocity impact behavior of inert and reactive PELE projectiles against thin-walled targets

Reactive projectiles offer enhanced lateral effects via impact-induced energy release, yet existing modeling approaches often lack the ability to accurately capture the complex interplay between mechanical fragmentation and chemical reactions. This work addresses this limitation by exploring the fragmentation dynamics, lateral dispersion, and reactivity of Penetrators with Enhanced Lateral Effects (PELE) containing inert (PTFE) and novel reactive fillings (BDO-FP/CuO/Al and Viton/Al), impacting thin-walled metallic plates at an initial velocity around 1000 m/s. Experiments employed a two-stage helium gas gun with high-speed cameras and flash X-ray imaging to visualize projectile–target interactions and perforation characteristics. Numerical simulations were conducted using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) in LS-DYNA, incorporating Johnson–Cook constitutive laws, stochastic fracture models, and Ignition and Growth Reactive Model equations of state derived from Ab Initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Experimental results revealed that reactive fillings, particularly Viton/Al, exhibited significantly higher reaction intensity, characterized by intense combustion flashes and broader fragment dispersion with more severe perforation damage compared to inert PTFE. SPH simulations effectively reproduced these phenomena, capturing axial velocity attenuation and radial fragmentation, although minor discrepancies remained in dispersion magnitudes and local perforation geometries. Product species analysis showed that Viton/Al rapidly decomposes into abundant gas-phase species, driving pressure buildup and accelerating combustion. BDO-FP/CuO/Al exhibited delayed, multi-stage decomposition with larger fragments and slower energy release. By integrating experiments with SPH, AIMD, and CFD modeling techniques, this work provides comprehensive insights into PELE behaviors and facilitates the optimization of reactive material formulations for enhanced lateral damage effects.