Ballistic Impact of Flat-Ended Projectiles against 2024-T351 Plate: Experiments and Modeling

Flat-ended projectiles were used to impact three distinct thicknesses of 2024-T351 plate. Ballistic limit velocities were determined, and optical microscopic examination revealed evidence of adiabatic shear bands within the impacted plates, which can result in a low-energy failure mechanism and reduced ballistic performance. A two-dimensional axisymmetric numerical model was developed in LS-DYNA to model the impacts using the generalized incremental stress state model (GISSMO). This provided an improved understanding of the formation of adiabatic shear bands in the aluminum and how adiabatic shear failure can be predicted using an instability criterion.

Automated summary

Flat-ended projectiles were used to impact aluminum plates of different thicknesses, and the formation of adiabatic shear bands was examined. Numerical simulation can be used to predict and understand the adiabatic shear failure mechanism.