Evaluation of sacrificial materials against spherical fragments in a semi-confined blast chamber

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to evaluate sacrificial materials that can be used in the blast chamber during the detonation of encased charges. This paper details the evaluation of sacrificial materials arranged in an arena manner and the damage observed on the backing steel plates located behind the sacrificial layers exposed to 2 mm Chromium steel balls in a semi-confined environment. Conveyor belt, Polyurea / 1.6 mm mild steel material, Shutter board and Supawood were evaluated as sacrificial materials and were found to provide some degree of protection against the fragments. After detonation on each test, all the sacrificial materials evaluated had some degree of structural integrity, blast and thermal resistance as they were able to withstand the heat from blast signature for the duration at which they were evaluated. The average spread of fragments on the buffer plate behind the materials was found to be between 325-420 mm which correlates with the prediction form the mathematical models. The Polyurea/1.6 mm steel composite and Shutter board performed best according to the evaluation.