Numerical investigation of vertical and oblique impacts of coated projectiles on aluminum targets: focus on friction effects

Subject Areas : Journal of Simulation and Analysis of Novel Technologies in Mechanical Engineering

Pooya Pirali ^{1 *} , Mohsen Heydari Beni ² , Amirhossein Alyaninejad ³ , Jafar Eskandari Jam ⁴ , Majid Eskandari Shahraki ⁵

1 - Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing Technologies,Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 - Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing Technologies, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing Technologies, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
4 - Faculty of Materials and Manufacturing Technologies, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran.
5 - Department of Aerospace Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Received: 2025-10-07 Accepted : 2026-01-02 Published : 2025-12-23

Keywords: Coated projectile, vertical impact, oblique impact, friction effects, aluminum targets, Abaqus simulation.,

Abstract :

This paper numerically investigates the ballistic performance of rigid and coated projectiles impacting aluminum targets, with an emphasis on the effect of friction between the projectile components and the target. Simulations were conducted using Abaqus/Explicit to model vertical and oblique impacts on aluminum targets with thicknesses of 25 and 76 mm. The results were validated against experimental data and analytical models. The findings indicate that in vertical impacts, increased friction between the coating and the target enhances residual velocity and penetration depth, while increased friction between the core and the coating reduces these parameters. In oblique impacts, higher friction leads to reduced penetration and an increased likelihood of ricochet. The results include residual velocities, penetration depths, crater diameters, and energy analyses, providing insights for optimizing anti-armor designs.

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