Experimental and numerical investigations into the ballistic performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber-reinforced laminates

Abstract

The ballistic performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber-reinforced laminates is investigated experimentally and numerically. Several failure modes have been identified by examining the post-test targets, involving delamination, fiber fracture and bulging deformation. With the increase of impact velocity, the fiber recoil of the upper laminate becomes more evident, but the bulging deformation of the lower laminate is alleviated. A three-dimensional numerical model was developed to analyze the evolution of the whole ballistic response and the effects of projectile nose shape, spacing size and pitch angle on the ballistic behavior. Numerical results indicate that targets exhibit superior ballistic resistance under the impact of flat-nosed projectile. The ballistic performance of targets would be degraded with the increase of spacing size between two laminates. There exists a deactivation value for the spacing size to affect the ballistic behavior. Increasing the pitch angle between the sub-laminates could slightly improve the ballistic performance of targets by enhancing the delamination behavior and the development of bulging deformation.