Ballistic performance of double-layered plates Q235 and 45 steel subjected to impact by projectiles of middle strength

The ballistic resistance behavior of double-layer steel plates incorporated with different materials is experimentally and numerically investigated by using blunt- and ogive-nosed projectiles of middle strength. These materials are Q235 steel (low strength and high ductility) and 45 steel (high strength and low ductility). Experimental results showed that the ballistic resistance is better for the double-layer plates with the front layer of low ductility and high strength and the back layer of high ductility and low strength material than that of the opposite layer order impacted by ogive-nosed projectiles, but the situation is opposite for blunt-nosed projectiles. The ballistic limit of H + A (753.85 m/s) is increased by 29.5% when compared to that of A + H (582.19 m/s) for ogive-nosed projectiles of 45 steel. In the case of blunt projectiles, a 2.8% decrease in the ballistic limit of middle-strength projectile. Ogive-nosed projectiles are more sensitive than blunt-nosed projectiles when it comes to the effect of the layer order of the double-layer plates. Moreover, the ballistic limit velocities of blunt-nosed projectiles are obviously bigger than that of ogive-nosed projectiles for the double-layer plates of the front layer of low strength, while the situation is opposite for the double-layer plates of the front layer of high strength. Furthermore, the projectiles lose some mass and length after impact. The deformation of projectiles is also concerning the nose shape and velocity of projectiles, as well as the layer order of the double-layer plates. Finally, numerical simulation results are obtained and compared using the ABAQUS subroutine VUMAT-modified Johnson-Cook material model. And these results fairly agree with the experiment.

Automated summary

The ballistic resistance behavior of double-layer steel plates with different material combinations is studied experimentally and numerically. The study finds that the order of layers in the double-layer plates has a significant impact on the ballistic resistance, with ogive-nosed projectiles being more sensitive than blunt-nosed projectiles. The deformation of projectiles and the loss of mass and length are also influenced by the nose shape and velocity of projectiles, as well as the layer order of the double-layer plates.