Steel-Confined SiC Armour against Oblique Penetration The Effect of Out-of-Plane Fiber Waviness on the Ballistic Performance of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene

Abstract

A combined experimental and computational study was carried out to investigate bilayer buffer designs to enhance ballistic performance of steel-confined SiC ceramic armour modules under oblique impact. Tungsten alloy long rods were experimentally impacted against the armour modules with the bilayer buffers at a nominal velocity of 1.23 km/s and NATO 60 degrees obliquity. The bilayer buffers comprised a 2mm thick Ti alloy outer layer together with a weak inner layer made of different materials. It was found that using soft materials like graphite and PE-like polymer for the weak layer produced the best ballistic performance of the armour modules. Simulations were carried out using the AUTODYN hydrocode to illustrate the interactions between the armour modules and long rods. The hydrocode simulations, showed the bilayer buffers cushioned the dynamic load applied to the ceramics of the armour modules on rod impact, reducing the initial ceramic damage compared to a non-buffered armour module. In addition, the buffers with the weak layer made of soft material were further able to delay the onset of damage to the ceramics in the armours, maximizing the armour module’s efficiency.