On Influence of Mechanical Properties of Gun Propellants on Their Ballistic Characteristics Determined in Closed Vessel Tests

The geometric burning law of gun propellants is widely used in computer codes used for the simulations of the internal ballistics of guns. However, the results of closed vessel tests prove that the burning process of some propellants deviates from the geometric law. Validation of the hypothesis that observed deviations can be attributed to the cracking of propellant grains was the aim of this work. In order to verify the hypothesis, three types of gun propellants were chosen with considerably differing mechanical strengths: a single-base propellant, a double-base propellant, and a composite propellant. The mechanical properties of the gun propellants were tested using a quasi-static compression method with strain rate values of the order of 0.001 s(−1) and the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar technique with the strain rate in the range of 1000–6000 s(−1). The mechanical responses of the propellants were assessed on the basis of the true stress–strain curves obtained and from the point of view of the occurrence of cracks in the propellant grains specimens. Moreover, closed vessel tests were performed to determine experimental shape functions for the considered gun propellants. Juxtaposition of the stress‒strain curves with the experimental shape functions proved that the observed deviations from the geometrical burning law can be attributed mainly to the cracking of propellant grains. The results obtained showed that the rheological properties of propellants are important not only from the point of view of logistical issues but also for the properly controlled burning process of propellants during the shot.