Ballistic Performance of Alumina S-2 Glass-reinforced Polymer-matrix Composite Hybrid Lightweight Armor Against Armor Piercing (ap) and Non-AP Projectiles

• Published in: Multidiscipline modeling in materials and structures 2007-03, Vol.3 (3), p.287-312
• Main Authors: Grujicic, M, Pandurangan, B, Zecevic, U, Koudela, K.L, Cheeseman, B.A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiballistic materials; Armor; Backing; Ceramics; Density; Piercing; Projectiles; Tiles; Weight reduction
• ISSN: 1573-6105; 1573-6113
• DOI: 10.1163/157361107781389562

The ability of light-weight all fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composite armor and hybrid composite-based armor hard-faced with ceramic tiles to withstand the impact of a non-Armor- Piercing (non-AP) and AP projectiles is investigated using a transient non-linear dynamics computational analysis. The results obtained confirm experimental findings that the all-composite armor, while being able to successfully defeat non-AP threats, provides very little protection against AP projectiles. In the case of the hybrid armor, it is found that, at a fixed overall areal density of the armor, there is an optimal ratio of the ceramic-to-composite areal densities which is associated with a maximum ballistic armor performance against AP threats. The results obtained are rationalized using an analysis based on the shock blast wave reflection and transmission behavior at the hard-face air, hard-face backing and backing air interfaces, projectiles' wear and erosion and the intrinsic properties of the constituent materials of the armor and the projectiles.