Behavior of E-glass composite laminates under ballistic impact

• Ballistic evaluation of E-glass/phenolic laminates is carried out using 7.62 mm caliber MS projectile.
• Absorbed energy is increased non-linearly with increase in thickness of laminates.
• Various modes of damage responsible for energy absorption are confirmed by high speed video and SEM analysis.
• Projectile's deformation is found to be increased with laminate thickness.

The use of light weight armor against ballistic threats is very important for increasing mobility and survivability. This paper describes ballistic performance of an E-glass/phenolic composite as a function of laminate thickness and projectile impact velocity using mild steel core projectile. The results show that there is a nonlinear relationship between the energy absorption and laminate thickness. The effect of thickness and velocity on energy absorption in the laminates has been explained in terms of interaction time between target and projectile. It is also observed that deformation of the projectile is more dependent on the target thickness than the strike velocity. Changes in failure mechanisms with change in target thickness are also described.

Cross section of impacted laminate and observed damaged modes.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide