Study on the penetration performance of shaped charge jet formed by nanocrystalline copper liner

Abstract

Shaped charges, as a core technology in modern weapon systems and engineering breaching applications, achieve high-efficiency penetration through precisely controlled energy release. This capability has become critical for enhancing combat effectiveness and addressing complex engineering challenges. Based on electroforming technology, nanocrystalline copper liners were fabricated. Mechanical properties testing of the nanocrystalline copper material and penetration experiments of shaped charge jets into C45 steel targets were conducted. The Johnson-Cook constitutive model parameters applicable to nanocrystalline copper were obtained through data fitting. Numerical simulations of jet formation and penetration processes for both nanocrystalline and coarse-grained copper liners were conducted utilizing AUTODYN software. The penetration effectiveness of jets from the two types of liners was analyzed based on computational results. The study revealed that the nanocrystalline copper liner exhibits a yield strength of 250 MPa and good plasticity. Compared to the coarse-grained copper liner, the nanocrystalline copper jet demonstrated superior cohesion and continuity, achieving a 13.5% increase in average penetration depth under identical charge configurations and standoff distances. The experimental results exhibited high consistency with the simulation results, with all discrepancies remaining below 10.0%, confirming the accuracy of the fitted material parameters for nanocrystalline copper. These findings provide critical insights for further optimization of nanocrystalline copper in shaped charge design.