Ballistic performance of spaced multi-ply soft fabrics: Experimental and numerical investigation

It has been reported that the ply gap influences the ballistic resistance of spaced multi-ply fabric systems,but its working mechanism was not well-understood. This paper reports the experimental and numerical approaches and results of an investigation on the mechanisms that enable the improved ballistic performance of spaced multi-ply systems. Penetration tests were performed over a range of impact velocities ranging from 200 m/s to 400 m/s. The results confirmed that the ply gap is beneficial to the energy absorption capability of the systems. This is because the front plies tend to absorb more energy when they are not immediately constrained by the rear plies. During a ballistic event, the gap relieves the reflection of the compressive pulse, prolonging the projectile engagement time with the front plies;on the other hand, the rear plies become increasingly less active in dissipating energy as the gap increases.When the gap is sufficiently widened to avoid any interference between the plies before the failure of the front ply, the responses of the whole system no longer vary. It was also found that the ballistic performance of the spaced systems is influenced by ply thickness, impact velocity, and the stacking order of the ply gap.

Ballistic performance of additive manufacturing 316l stainless steel projectiles based on topology optimization method

Material and structure made by additive manufacturing(AM)have received much attention lately due to their flexibility and ability to customize complex structures.This study first implements multiple objective topology optimization simulations based on a projectile perforation model,and a new topologic projectile is obtained.Then two types of 316L stainless steel projectiles(the solid and the topology)are printed in a selective laser melt(SLM)machine to evaluate the penetration performance of the projectiles by the ballistic test.The experiment results show that the dimensionless specific kinetic energy value of topologic projectiles is higher than that of solid projectiles,indicating the better penetration ability of the topologic projectiles.Finally,microscopic studies(scanning electron microscope and X-ray micro-CT)are performed on the remaining projectiles to investigate the failure mechanism of the internal structure of the topologic projectiles.An explicit dynamics simulation was also performed,and the failure locations of the residual topologic projectiles were in good agreement with the experimental results,which can better guide the design of new projectiles combining AM and topology optimization in the future.

Ballistic performances of the hourglass lattice sandwich structures under high-velocity fragments

In this paper,the numerical simulation method is used to study the ballistic performances of hourglass lattice sandwich structures with the same mass under the vertical incidence of fragments.Attention is paid to elucidating the influences of rod cross-section dimensions,structure height,structure layer,and rod inclination angle on the deformation mode,ballistic performances,and ability to change the ballistic direction of fragments.The results show that the ballistic performances of hourglass lattice sandwich structures are mainly affected by their structural parameters.In this respect,structural parameters optimization of the hourglass lattice sandwich structures enable one to effectively improve their ballistic limit velocity and,consequently,ballistic performances.

Parametric study on the ballistic performance of seamed woven fabrics

The ballistic perforation response of composite fabrics made by combining plain weaves with seaming technology is reported and compared with conventional unseamed plain fabrics.The effect of the seaming technique on the ballistic resistance of aramid plain fabrics is investigated by varying the seaming process.The ballistic experiment uses 8 mm diameter spherical projectiles to impact different fabric sample targets with velocities of 230 m/s and 400 m/s.The ballistic performance of seamed and unseamed fabrics is characterized by the specific energy absorption(SEA)values of the fabrics.The results show that the seamed fabric has a better energy absorption capacity than the unseamed fabric,e.g.,the SEA of sample 5(seaming lines on every four yarns in a single-ply fabric system)is 135%of sample 1(plain weave without thread seaming).In the single-layer system,the effect of the seaming technique on the energy absorption of the fabric in significant when considering seaming density,seaming orientation,seaming distance,and seaming material on the plain fabric;In addition,it is found that in multi-layer systems,seamed panels(e.g.,sample 7)exhibit better ballistic performance than multi-layer fabrics(e.g.,sample 2),and the specific energy absorption of sample 7 is approximately 156%and 200%of sample 6 and sample 2,respectively.Meanwhile,the energy absorption of the fabric decreases with the increase of impact velocity,which is related to the energy absorption mechanism of the soft fabric system at high impact velocities.The yarn pull-out tests shows that the constraint provided by the seaming thread increases the friction between the fabric-forming yarns.However,when the constraint exceeds a certain level,it is detrimental to the energy absorption of the fabric,which may be due to the overconstraint of yarn mobility.

Ballistic Performance and Damage Characteristics of Chemical Vapor Infiltration Quasi 3D-Cf/SiC Composites

To investigate the ballistic performance and damage characteristics of quasi threedimensional（3D） needle-punched Cf/SiC composites prepared by chemical vapor infiltration（CVI）,penetration experiments were conducted by using 7.62 mm armor piercing incendiary（API）.Macro and micro fracture morphologies were then observed on recycled targets.The results show that the protection coefficient of 3D Cf/SiC composites is 2.54.High porosity and many micro thermal stress cracks may directly lead to the lower ballistic performance.Flat fracture morphology was observed on the crater surface.The low dynamic fracture strength along layer direction may be attributed to the voids and microcracks caused by residual thermal stress.The damage characteristics of Cf/Si C composites include matrix cracking,fiber bundle cracking,interfacial debonding,fiber fracture,and fiber bundle pull-out.And interfacial debonding and fiber fracture may play major roles in energy absorption.

Influences of nanotwin volume fraction on the ballistic performance of coarse-grained metals

Coarse-grained（CG） metals strengthened by nanotwinned（NT） regions possess high strength and good ductility. As such, they are very suitable for applications in bullet-proof targets. Here, a numerical model based on the conventional theory of strain gradient plasticity and the Johnson–Cook failure criterion is employed to study the influences of volume fraction of NT regions on their ballistic performance.The results show that in general a relatively small twin spacing（4–10 nm） and a moderate volume fraction（7%–20%） will lead to excellent limit velocity and that the influences of volume fraction on limit displacement change with the category of impact processes.

Ballistic design and testing of a composite armour reinforced by CNTs suitable for armoured vehicles

This paper is investigating the use of composite armour reinforced by nanomaterials, for the protection of light armoured(LAV) and medium armoured military vehicles(MAV), and the interaction between the composite materials and high-performance ballistic projectiles. Four armour materials, consisted of front hybrid fibre reinforced polymer cover layer, ceramic strike-face, fibre reinforced polymer intermediate layer and the metal matrix composite reinforced backplate, were manufactured and assembled by adhesive technology. The proposed laminated protection system is suitable for armoured ground vehicles;however, it could be used as armour on ground, air and naval platforms. The design of the protection system, including material selection and thickness, was elaborated depending on the performance requirements of Level 4 + STANAG 4569 military standard(projectile 14.5 mm × 114 mm API B32) and especially on a design philosophy which is analysed with the specifications. The backplate of this new composite is a hybrid material of Metal Matrix Composite(MMC) reinforced with carbon nanotubes(CNTs), manufactured with the use of powder metallurgy technique. The composite backplate material was morphologically, mechanically and chemically analysed. Results show that all plates are presenting high mechanical properties and ballistic characteristics, compared to commonly used armour plates. Real military ballistic tests according to AEP-STANAG 4569 were carried out for the total composite armour systems. After the ballistic tests, AA2024-CNT3 showed the best protection results, compared with the other plates(AA2024-CNT1 and AA2024-CNT2), with the projectile being unable to fully penetrate the composite plate.

Effect of Hardfaced Interlayer Thickness and Low Hydrogen Ferritic Capping on Ballistic Performance of Shielded Metal Arc Welded Armour Steel Joints

Armour grade quenched and tempered steel closely confirming to AISI 4340 is well known for its superior ballistic performance and hence used in the fabrication of combat vehicles. The traditional fillers like austenitic stain- less steel showed poor ballistic performance of these welded joints as compared to the base metal. Attempts have been made to deposit hardfaced interlayer between austenitic stainless steel weld metals. Though this method, mar-- ginal improvements in ballistic performance can be yielded, and cracks were observed in between base metal and hardfaced layer. Thickness of the hardfaced interlayer plays a vital role for the effective ballistic performance. Thus, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of hardfaced interlayer thickness on ballistic performance of ar- mour steel welds. The results of effect of buttering, low hydrogen ferritic （LHF） filler and three different hardfaced layer thicknesses （4, 5.5 and 7 ram） on ballistid performance of shielded metal arc welded armour steel joints were given.

Enhancement of ballistic performance enabled by transformation-induced plasticity in high-strength bainitic steel

High-strength bainitic steels have created a lot of interest in recent times because of their excellent combination of strength,ductility,toughness,and high ballistic mass efficiency.Bainitic steels have great potential in the fabrication of steel armor plates.Although various approaches and methods have been conducted to utilize the retained austenite(RA)in the bainitic matrix to control mechanical properties,very few attempts have been conducted to improve ballistic performance utilizing transformationinduced plasticity(TRIP)mechanism.In this study,high-strength bainitic steels were designed by controlling the time of austempering process to have various volume fractions and stability of RA while maintaining high hardness.The dynamic compressive and ballistic impact tests were conducted,and the relation between the effects of TRIP on ballistic performance and the adiabatic shear band(ASB)formation was analyzed.Our results show for the first time that an active TRIP mechanism achieved from a large quantity of metastable RA can significantly enhance the ballistic performance of high-strength bainitic steels because of the improved resistance to ASB formation.Thus,the ballistic performance can be effectively improved by a very short austempering time,which suggests that the utilization of active TRIP behavior via tuning RA acts as a primary mechanism for significantly enhancing the ballistic performance of high-strength bainitic steels.

Ballistic tests on hot-rolled Ti-6Al-4V plates:Experiments and numerical approaches

Superior ballistic performance and the lightweight character of Ti alloys are considered as main reasons for their use in armour applications against a broad spectrum of ballistic threats,e.g.bullet,fragment or blast impact.Because dynamic loading caused by typical penetrators is characterized by high strain rates,only specific test methods allow a closer investigation of the respective material behaviour.In the present study,quasi-static and dynamic compression tests as well as ballistic tests were conducted on a twophase a+βalloy Ti-6Al-4V(in m%)manufactured by hot-rolling.Post-deformation heat treatments,influencing microstructure and mechanical properties were applied in order to compare three different microstructural configurations:as-rolled,mill-annealed and bimodal.While,on the one hand,ballistic tests were employed for the determination of the ballistic limit velocity v_(50),compression tests,on the other hand,delivered essential input parameters for the application of the Johnson-Cook constitutive model in a finite element simulation of the impact event.The comparison of experimental results to simulation results was supplemented by means of microstructural characterization of tested samples with the focus set on the prevalently observed deformation and damage mechanisms,as for example adiabatic shearing.

Ballistic behavior of boron carbide reinforced AA7075 aluminium alloy using friction stir processing-An experimental study and analytical approach

High strength-to-weight ratio of non-ferrous alloys, such as aluminium, magnesium and titanium alloys, are considered to be possible replacement of widely accepted steels in transportation and automobile sectors. Among these alloys, magnesium is self explosive and titanium is costlier, and aluminium is most likely to replace steels. Application of aluminium or its alloys is also thought of as an appropriate replacement in defence field, especially to enhance the easiness in mobility of combat vehicles while maintaining the same standard as that of conventional armour grade steels. Hence most of the investigations have been confined to aluminium or its alloys as base material and open an era of developing the newer composite materials to address the major limitation, i.e. tribological properties. The surface composites can be fabricated by incorporating the ceramic carbides like silicon carbide, carbides of transition metals and oxides of aluminium using surface modification techniques, such as high energy laser melt treatment, high energy electron beam irradiation and thermal spray process which are based on fusion route. These techniques yield the fusion related problems, such as interfacial reaction, pin holes, shrinkage cavities or voids and other casting related defects, and pave the way to need of an efficient technique which must be based on solid state. Recently developed friction stir processing technique was used in the present investigation for surface modification of AA7075 aluminum alloy, which is an alternative to steels. In the present investigation, 160 μm sized boron carbide powder was procured and was reduced to 60 μm and 30 μm using high energy ball mill. Subsequently these powders were used to fabricate the surface composites using friction stir processing.Ballistic performance testing as per the military standard(JIS.0108.01) was carried out. In the present work, an analytical method of predicting the ballistic behavior of surface composites was developed. This method was based on energy balance, i.e., the initial energy of impact is same as that of energy absorbed by multi layers. An attempt also has been made to validate the analytical results with the experimental findings. Variation between the analytical and experimental results may be accounted due to the assumptions considering such as isotropic behavior of target and shearing area of contact as cylindrical instead of conical interface As the analytical model yields the ballistic performance in the closer proximity of experimentally obtained, it can be considered to be an approximation to evaluate the ballistic performance of targets.

Dynamic response of UHMWPE plates under combined shock and fragment loading

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE)fiber composite has been extensively used to construct lightweight protective structures against ballistic impacts,yet little is known about its performance when subjected to combined blast and fragment impacts.Built upon a recently developed laboratory-scale experimental technique to generate simulated combined loading through the impact of a fragment-foam composite projectile launched from a light gas gun,the dynamic responses of fullyclamped UHMWPE plates subjected to combined loading were characterized experimentally,with corresponding deformation and failure modes compared with those measured with simulated blast loading alone.Subsequently,to explore the underlying physical mechanisms,three-dimensional(3D)numerical simulations with the method of finite elements(FE)were systematically carried out.Numerical predictions compared favorably well with experimental measurements,thus validating the feasibility of the established FE model.Relative to the case of blast loading alone,combined blast and fragment loading led to larger maximum deflections of clamped UHMWPE plates.The position of the FSP in the foam sabot affected significantly the performance of a UHMWPE target,either enhancing or decreasing its ballistic resistance.When the blast loading and fragment impact arrived simultaneously at the target,its ballistic resistance was superior to that achieved when subjected to fragment impact alone,and benefited from the accelerated movement of the target due to simultaneous blast loading.

High-Velocity Projectile Impact Behaviour of Friction Stir Welded AA7075 Thick Plates

In this study, high velocity impact behaviour of friction stir welded AA7075-T651 25 mm thick plates were investigated using a 7.62 mm × 51 mm lead core and 7.62 mm × 39 mm steel core projectiles. Prior to ballistic trails, mechanical and metallurgical properties of friction stir welded AA 7075-T651 25 mm thick plates were studied. Microstructural and hardness studies revealed that friction stir welds constituted three distinct regions namely Weld Nugget(WN), Thermo-Mechanically Affected Zone(TMAZ) and Heat Affected Zone(HAZ). Base Material(BM) and all three weld regions were ballistically tested as per military standard NIJ.0108.01 using lead and steel core bullets at maximum permissible velocities of 830 ± 20 and 700 ± 30 m/s, respectively. It has been found that base material(AA7075-T651)and all three weld regions of 25 mm thick plates were able to resist perforation by both types of projectiles used. However depth of penetration has been found to increase from BM to WN, HAZ and TMAZ for both types of projectiles. In all cases steel core projectiles caused higher depth of penetration compared to those caused by lead core projectiles. TMAZs of the friction stir welds were found to be the weakest zone. The fracture that occurred in the base material was spall fragmentation indicating brittle failure, whereas all zones of friction stir welded AA7075-T651 targets with a front petalling, indicating ductile failure. The post-ballistic tested samples showed no significant change in the microstructure of the BM and WN. On the other hand, TMAZ and HAZ showed severe grain deformation in the direction of projectile penetration, and the formation of adiabatic shear bands(ASB). This work showed that 25 mm thick friction stir welded AA7075-T651 joints responded well to ballistic impact loads, making them a good choice for light combat vehicles.

Role of Microstructural Features in Toughness Improvement of Zirconia Toughened Alumina

Ceramics constitute an integral part of highly efficient armours due to their low density, high hardness, strength and stiffness. However, they lack toughness and multi-hit capability. Therefore, zirconia toughened alumina is investigated. The hardness is evaluated using Vickers, Knoop and instrumented indentations, while the fracture toughness is evaluated using the indentation technique and Charpy tests. The strength is evaluated using ring-on-ring, four point bend and drop weight tests. The Young’s modulus is evaluated using the unloading instrumented indentation curves. Microstructure, porosity and density are characterised using ultrasonic scanning, Archimedes principle, optical and scanning electron microscopy. Results show an indentation size effect on all mechanical properties. A substantial improvement in toughness is achieved through retardation of crack initiation by tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transformation in zirconia particles, crack deviation thanks to appropriate grain structure, as well as energy absorption by densification due to remaining porosity. This improved toughness is expected to promote multi-hit capability.

Modeling and simulation of bullet-barrel interaction process for the damaged gun barrel

In this paper,the influences of bore damage on the bullet-barrel interaction process and the mechanism of how bore damage results in the end of a machine gun barrel’s service life were studied,which had seldom been paid attention to in the past several decades.A novel finite element mesh generation method for the damaged barrel and a new transient coupled thermo-mechanical finite element(FE)model,which were based on the damage data obtained through barrel life tests,were developed to simulate the interior ballistics process of a coupled bullet-barrel system.Additionally,user subroutine VUAMP was developed in the FE model in order to take the bullet base pressure brought by propellant gas into account.Good consistency between the simulation results and the experimental results verified the preciseness of the proposed mesh generation method and the FE model.The simulation results show that the increase of bullet’s initial disturbance at the muzzle and the variation of its surface morphology caused by bore damage are primarily responsible for the life end of this 12.7 mm machine gun barrel.