AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON BALLISTIC RESISTANCE OF SANDWICH TARGETS WITH ALUMINUM FACESHEETS AND COMPOSITE CORE

Abstract

THIS STUDY ATTEMPTED TO EXAMINE THE BALLISTIC RESISTANCE OF SANDWICH STRUCTURES WITH ALUMINUM FACESHEETS, POLYURETHANE CORE AND POLYU-RETHANE FOAM REINFORCED WITH ALUMINUM PINS. THE MAIN FOCUS WAS ON THE EFFECT OF VARIATIONS IN DENSITY OF CORE FOAM AND THE EFFECT OF ADDING DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES OF ALUMINUM PINS ON ABSORPTION OF ENERGY AND BALLISTIC LIMIT OF SANDWICH STRUCTURES UNDER THE IMPACT OF BLUNT AND CONICAL NOSE PROJECTILES AT HIGH VELOCITIES (170 TO 260 METERS PER SECOND). THE RESULTS FIRSTLY DEMONSTRATED THAT ANY IN-CREASE IN THE DENSITY OF FOAM LED TO GREATER BALLISTIC ENERGY ABSORP-TION. SECONDLY, THE BALLISTIC LIMIT OF SANDWICH STRUCTURES WITH COMPO-SITE CORE WAS MORE THAN THE FOAM CORE BY 18 PERCENT. THIRDLY, THE USE OF ALUMINUM PINS NOT ONLY ENHANCED CORE RESISTANCE, BUT ALSO ALTERED THE SHAPE OF DAMAGE AND ENERGY ABSORPTION IN THE REAR FACESHEET. FINALLY, THE BALLISTIC LIMIT OF BLUNT PROJECTILE WAS GREATER THAN THAT OF CONICAL NOSE PROJECTILE.