Synergistic effect of combined blast loads on UHMWPE fiber mesh reinforced polyurea composites

Abstract

UHMWPE fiber mesh reinforced polyurea (UFRP) composites are a proposed improvement method that involves incorporating UHMWPE fiber mesh into polyurea coating. Experiments and theoretical analysis were conducted to examine the failure and blast resistance performance of the UFRP under combined air-blast and fragments. The mechanism of UFRP composite failure, the self-healing effect, and counterintuitive behaviors were identified and investigated. Fiber mesh improved structural strength and stopped fracture development, while polyurea increased ductility and protected against blast fragment dispersion. The addition of UHMWPE fiber mesh improved the polyurea matrix's load transmission, integrity, and fracture resistance, and it can even altered the material's failure mode from shear punching to tensile. The loose and elastic filler was generated as polyurea melted in the impact hole as a result of the thermal effect of the impact process and the dynamic action of the penetration of the fragments. The joint load was classified into three categories based on the space-time connection of the loads, the loading duration, and the structure's reaction mechanism. The synergistic effect of the combined loading on the composite plates was evaluated, and an analytical model was developed to examine the occurrence. Synergy is contingent upon not just the reaching moment and duration of the loads, but also the reaction of the structures.