Abstract
Abstract Composite structures (SiC/UHMWPE/TC4; SiC/TC4/UHMWPE) were designed using silicon carbide (SiC)ceramics, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) laminate, and titanium alloys (TC4s). Penetration experiments and numerical simulations were carried out to study the anti-penetration mechanism and energy characteristics of the composite structures, and the microstructure of the TC4 was analyzed. The results show that the two composite structures designed have advantages in reducing mass and thickness. The energy proportion of the TC4 is the largest among the three materials, which mainly determines the anti-penetration performance. The microstructure of the TC4 in composite structure I shows rough edges of bullet holes, a large number of adiabatic shear bands (ASBs), ASB bends and bifurcates, and many cracks, which lead to spalling damage of the TC4. The microstructure of the TC4 in composite structure II shows flat edges of bullet holes, several straight ASBs, and no cracks, which leads to brittle fragmentation. The initiation, expansion, combination of ASBs and cracks lead to more energy consumption. Therefore, the combination form of composite structure I can give full play the energy dissipation mechanism of the TC4 and has better anti-penetration performance than composite structure II.
Highlights
The development of anti-armor weapons poses an increasing threat to armored vehicles
The anti-penetration of the ceramic–metal composite structure is affected by the adhesive layer
The results show that the increase in the thickness of the adhesive layer leads to a reduction in the size of the ceramic fracture and an increase in the energy absorption capacity of the material
Summary
The development of anti-armor weapons poses an increasing threat to armored vehicles. The widely used forms of anti-penetration structures include ceramic– metal, ceramic–fiber composite materials, and metal–fiber composite materials. An et al [5] studied the anti-penetration performance of ceramic–metal structures, and it is found that the metal has a significant influence on the damage characteristics of the composite structures. The anti-penetration of the ceramic–metal composite structure is affected by the adhesive layer. Gao et al [7] studied the influence of the adhesive layer on the anti-penetration performance of the ceramic–metal structure through experiments and numerical. Most studies focus on single-layer metal materials [11,12,13], and there are a few research studies on the damage mechanism and microstructure of metal materials in composite structures.
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