Experimental research on the long rod penetration of tungsten-fiber/Zr-based metallic glass matrix composite into Q235 steel target

•Penetration tests of WF/Zr-MG composite and WHA long rods are conducted.•Failure modes of WF/Zr-MG composite and WHA are identified systemically.•The “self-sharpening” behavior of composite rod and its mechanism are investigated.•Impact velocity range which is favorable for the “self-sharpening” is suggested.•Comparative analysis between the composite rod and the WHA rod is conducted.

In the present paper, the long rod penetration experiments of tungsten-fiber/Zr-based metallic glass matrix composite (WF/Zr-MG) and tungsten heavy alloy (93W) into Q235 steel targets are conducted by employing H100 smooth bore artillery within the speed range from 765 m/s to 1809 m/s. The diameter of the long rods is 19 mm and its aspect ratio is 10. Different from the mushrooming of 93W rod nose, the self-sharpening phenomenon is observed in the nose of WF/Zr-MG rod. The experimental results indicate that the WF/Zr-MG rod has much better penetrating performance than the 93W rod when the penetration velocity exceeds 1000 m/s. Integrated with the metallographic analysis of the residual rods, the failure modes of WF/Zr-MG rod are identified systemically. The deformation and shear failure of WF/Zr-MG composite mainly occurs in the edge layer of the rod nose during the high-speed penetration and it displays the localizing and sharpening features. The thickness of the edge layer in the rod nose maintains a dynamic balance.