Cratering for Impact of Hypervelocity Projectiles into Granite Targets within a Velocity Range of 1.91–3.99 km/s: Experiments and Analysis

To understand and analyze crater damage of rocks under hypervelocity impact, the hypervelocity impact cratering of 15 shots of hemispherical-nosed cylindrical projectiles into granite targets was studied within the impact velocity range of 1.91–3.99 km/s. The mass of each projectile was 40 g, and the length–diameter ratio was 2. Three types of metal material were adopted for the projectiles, including titanium alloy with a density of 4.44 g/cm3, steel alloy with a density of 7.81 g/cm3, and tungsten alloy with a density of 17.78 g/cm3. The projectile–target density ratio (ρp/ρt) ranged from 1.71 to 6.86. The depth–diameter ratios (H/D) of the craters yielded from the experiments were between 0.14 and 0.24. The effects of ρp/ρt and the impact velocity on the morphologies of the crater were evaluated. According to the experimental results, H/D of craters is negatively correlated with the impact velocity, whereas the correlation between H/D and ρp/ρt is weak positive. The crater parameters were expressed as power law relations of impact parameters by using scaling law analysis. The multiple regression analysis was utilized to obtain the coefficients and the exponents of the relation equations. The predicted values of the regression equations were close to the experimental results.