A study into the viability of Synbone® as a proxy for Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs for use with 5.56-mm open tip match ammunition in ballistic testing.

Abstract

In ballistic testing and forensic reconstruction, there is a need to use repeatable and consistent simulants. While synthetic bone is mechanically similar to human bone, it does not have the same viscoelastic properties. In high-energy impact such as ballistic impacts, bone acts as a stiff, brittle material and fails instantaneously. Therefore, a suitable simulant for use in ballistic testing should have comparable energy deposition to mammalian bones. This preliminary study aims to determine if Synbone® could be a viable proxy for Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs in ballistic testing. Three thickness of Synbone® were embedded into 10% ballistic gelatin and shot using 5.56-mm ammunition. The models were then analysed to compare the Synbone® to a previous Sus scrofa (domesticus) rib study and focused on the number of fragments within the block, energy deposition, onset of yaw, angle of deviation, the temporary cavity as a percentage of the block and the depth to the temporary cavity centre, depth to maximum gelatin disruption and the permanent wound channel, including shear planes and wound tract diameter. There was no significant difference in the metrics that were compared between Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs and the three thicknesses of Synbone®, except for a significant difference in the depth to maximum gelatin disruption between the 6mm (p= 0.009) and 12mm plate (p= 0.007) and the Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs. This study indicates that the 5-mm Synbone® plate is a suitable proxy for Sus scrofa (domesticus) ribs for use with 5.56-mm OTM ammunition in ballistic testing.