Effect of lamination sequence and warhead shape on impact resistance of fiber-metal laminates

In this work, the failure mode and ballistic protection capability of the carbon fiber aluminum alloy laminated target plate under the impact of high-speed projectile body were studied by ballistic impact test. The effects of the lamination sequence and warhead shape difference on the impact resistance of the laminated aluminum alloy and carbon fiber laminates were analyzed. Two kinds of projectile bodies, flat and oval head, were used to carry out multiple high-speed impact experiments on four groups of targets with different stacking sequences. By analyzing the result, it is found that the lamination sequence of the target plate has a significant effect on the anti-impact performance only when the flat head projectile impacts, while the ovoid projectile has almost no effect. In the fiber-metal composite configuration, the aluminum plate placed in front of the carbon fiber plate showed the best resistance to flat head bullet impact, the ballistic limit speed reached 135 m/s, and the overall impact resistance improved by up to 26% compared with other configurations. Unlike the shear failure caused by flat head projectile, ovoid projectile impact can cause serious tensile and tear damage. Based on the experimental results, it is clear that the laminated structure has better penetration resistance against the flat head projectile, and the placement of aluminum plate on the impact surface can change the failure mode of carbon fiber laminates and improve the energy absorption level of composite plates.

Automated summary

This work studied the failure mode and ballistic protection capability of a carbon fiber aluminum alloy laminated target plate under high-speed projectile impact through ballistic impact tests. The impact resistance of the laminated aluminum alloy and carbon fiber laminates was analyzed considering lamination sequence and warhead shape differences. Results showed that the lamination sequence had a significant effect on anti-impact performance only for flat head projectiles, while ovoid projectiles had little effect. In the fiber-metal composite configuration, placing an aluminum plate in front of the carbon fiber plate exhibited the best resistance to flat head bullet impact, with a ballistic limit speed of 135 m/s and a 26% overall improvement in impact resistance compared to other configurations. Unlike flat head projectiles, ovoid projectile impacts caused severe tensile and tear damage.