ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF HEAT AND MECHANICAL TREATMENT ON THE FRAGMENTATION OF 120 MM HIGH-EXPLOSIVE MORTAR SHELLS.PART II – BALLISTIC TESTS ON FRAGMENTATION OF MORTAR PROJECTILES SHELLS

The research goal of the work was to determine the influence of thermal and mechanical processing on the fragmentation of 120 mm projectiles for the Rak self-propelled mortar based on the results of dynamic tests on the fragmentation of projectile shells and measuring the number of fragments in individual mass groups. The main issues raised in the work are the tactical and technical requirements that must be met by HE (high explosive) mortar rounds, focusing on the properties influencing on the fragmentation process of the projectiles, i.e. the material of the shell and the explosives. In order to obtain appropriate data to be studied in the work, it was necessary to test prepared research objects. Testing part includes a ballistic examination of the fragmentation of HE projectile shells, which were made of three types of materials and were subjected to various heat treatment parameters during the production process. The obtained results of ballistic fragmentation tests of mortar shells were used for analysis and enabled comparison of fragmentation characteristics between shells made of different materials and subjected to heat treatment processes. Part II presents ballistics tests on the fragmentation of mortar shells and the analysis of the obtained results.