A Study on the Fabrication of the Composite Sabot for a Kinetic Energy Projectile

Choi, Jae-Ho

Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology 2006;9(3):88-94.

Jae-Ho Choi

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운동에너지탄용 복합재 이탈피의 제조에 관한 연구

최재호

국방과학연구소 기술연구본부

Abstract

In order to substitute current aluminum sabot and to increase the penetration performance of the kinetic energy projectiles, the research and development program for composites sabot has been conducted. For carbon/epoxy composites sabot, unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced epoxy prepreg was chosen and thick sectioned composites preforms with the different fiber angles along the circumferential direction of sabot were prepared by compression molding under the careful processing conditions at $150^{circ}C$ for 1hour with $70kgf/cm^2$ curing pressure. The composites sabot demonstrated a weight reduction by approximately 30% than that of current aluminum sabot. The muzzle velocity of a kinetic energy projectile with composites sabot was measured to be about 63m/s higher than that with aluminum sabot. These results imply that the penetration performance is expected to be considerably increased when the composite sabot is applied to the kinetic energy projectiles.

Key Words: Penetration Performance, Kinetic Energy Projectile, Carbon/Epoxy Composite, Composite Sabot, Compression Molding, Muzzle Velocity