The potential of biomimetics design in the development of impact resistant material

Shukur Hassan,Chong Gang,Bakar Abu,Mohd Yahya,Carlo Santulli

doi:10.5937/fmet1801108h

Abstract

Ballistic impact resistance is an essential quality for materials to be used in protective shields. In this case, biomimetics design approach was used to improve the existing design of shield by finding solution from nature. Principles were extracted from biological models, such as fish scale, nacre and mantis shrimp, to improve the impact resistance of the shield. These models indicated that a multi-layered material structure shows superior impact resistance properties in case the stiffness of outer layers is much higher than that of inner layers and layer thickness is increased from outer towards inner layers. To verify this statement, materials with carbon fibre reinforced epoxy (CFRP) as the exterior layers and polycarbonate (PC) as the interior ones were designed and numerically analysed. Also pure polycarbonate samples were analysed for comparison purposes. The results showed that biomimetically designed composites had higher ballistic limit velocity than the control specimens for same target thickness.

Highlights

For billions of years, living organisms have evolved to adapt structures and materials over geological time and surrounding environmental conditions
Another research by Carrillo et al compares the ballistic performance of Kevlar aramid fabric/polypropylene composite laminate (CL) with plain-layered aramid fabric (AF) and the results showed that CL performed better than AF in terms of ballistic limit and penetration threshold energy [14]
Two biological models were selected in view of an improvement of the ballistic impact resistance of materials

Summary

Introduction

For billions of years, living organisms have evolved to adapt structures and materials over geological time and surrounding environmental conditions Their ability to evolve is crucial in ensuring their survival. Part of their learning involved achieving maximal performance by using minimal resources and came up with numerous solutions, gradually developing over the evolution process [1]. In recent years many efforts in mimicking nature have been performed in an attempt to solve human problems To indicate globally these scientific approaches aimed to improve technology as inspired by nature, the term ‘Biomimetics’ is normally used [2]. The biomimetic approach was used to design a bullet-proof material, to better withstand ballistic impact

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