A Prospective Way to Achieve Ballistic Impact Resistance of Lightweight Magnesium Alloys

Abdul Malik,Faisal Nazeer,Yangwei Wang

doi:10.3390/met12020241

Abdul Malik, Faisal Nazeer + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/met12020241

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Abstract

The ballistic impact resistance of lightweight magnesium alloys is an eye-catching material for the military and aerospace industries, which can decrease the cost of a project and the fuel consumption. The shockwave mitigation ability of a magnesium alloy is 100 times stronger than an aluminum alloy; nonetheless, ballistic impact resistance has still not been achieved against blunt and API projectiles. The major obstacles are the low hardness, low mechanical strength, basal texture and strain hardening ability under loading along the normal direction of the sheet. The high yield strength and ultimate strength can be achieved for a specific loading condition (tensile or compression) by adjusting the texture in magnesium alloys. The projectile impact along the normal direction in a strong basal-textured magnesium alloy can only produce a slip-induced deformation or minor twinning activity. Here, we propose a practical technique that can be valuable for altering the texture from c-axes//ND to c-axes//ED or TD, and can produce high strain hardening and high strength through a twinning and de-twinning activity. Subsequently, it can improve the ballistic impact resistance of magnesium alloys. The effect of the technique on the evolution of the microstructure and possible anticipated deformation mechanisms after ballistic impact is proposed and discussed.

Highlights

Over the years, scientists have worked on the development of next-generation lightweight materials for military applications
The low hardness, average strength, and basal texture (c-axes//normal direction (ND)) in Mg alloys displays the low ballistic impact resistance, or the projectile completely perforates through the targeted material
The ZK series of Mg alloys are of special interest in terms of their large ductility and mechanical strength compared to other Mg series [34]

Summary

Introduction

Scientists have worked on the development of next-generation lightweight materials for military applications. The low hardness, average strength, and basal texture (c-axes//ND) in Mg alloys displays the low ballistic impact resistance, or the projectile completely perforates through the targeted material. Zhang et al [25] studied the deformation behavior of an Mg–Al–Zn alloy against a GCr15 projectile with an impact velocity of 900 m/s, and reported that the projectile was stopped inside the target material. The ballistic impact resistance at a standard velocity of 830 m/s or hypervelocity 1200 m/s with a standardized projectile (soft steel core deformable blunt projectile or hard steel core non-deformable API projectile) against an. In this study, we propose a novel approach “cross pre-compression” for developing a lightweight high-strength Mg alloy, which can provide ballistic impact resistance against standardized 7.62 mm soft steel or hard steel core projectiles under a standard velocity of 830 m/s

Proposed Solution and Anticipated Deformation Mechanism

Conclusions