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Published May 2003 | public
Journal Article

Penetration resistance of laminated ceramic/polymer structures

Abstract

Ballistic penetration experiments have been performed on ceramic tiles laminated with thin layers of polymer in between. The experiment involves shooting a cylindrical rod made of a tungsten heavy alloy (WHA) against an unconfined ceramic/polymer laminated structure that is backed by a 6061-T6 aluminum alloy cylindrical-block, at a velocity ranging between 1000 to 1200 m/s. The residual depth of penetration in the aluminum block is used as a measure of the resistance offered by the laminated ceramic/polymer structure to ballistic penetration. Penetration resistance of the laminated ceramic/polymer structures is compared to that of monolithic ceramic structures of the same total thickness. Experimental results demonstrate that penetration resistance of an unconfined ceramic structure can be improved significantly by laminating ceramic tiles with thin polymer layers in between. This enhanced performance of the laminated structure is attributed to a reduced wave propagation (and damage) velocity in the laminated ceramic/polymer structure and also to the crack arresting feature of the polymer layer.

Additional Information

© 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. Received 23 January2001; received in revised form 29 November 2001; accepted 20 August 2002. This research was supported by the Dow Chemical Company which is gratefully acknowledged. The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to Mr. S. Hanchak, Dr. M.J. Forrestal and Mr. E. Repacki for their assistance provided while setting up the experimental impact facility at Caltech.

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 20, 2023