Impact resistance of armor steel/ceramic/UHPC layered composite targets against 30CrMnSiNi2A steel projectiles

The layered composite structures with high-hardness and light-weight have potential applications in the protective structures under intensive loadings, and this paper aims to examine the impact resistance of the steel/ ceramic/concrete composite target against the high-speed projectile. Firstly, 14 shots of 30 mm-caliber ogivenosed 30CrMnSiNi2A steel projectiles penetration test on seven target configurations including normal strength concrete (NSC), ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), 10CrNi3MoV21A armor steel/UHPC, SiC ceramic/ UHPC and 10CrNi3MoV21A armor steel/SiC ceramic/UHPC composite targets were conducted, and the impact resistance and ballistic efficiency factors of the composite targets were assessed quantitatively. Then, by performing the systematic static and dynamic mechanical tests, the detailed Johnson-Cook constitutive model parameters for 10CrNi3MoV21A armor steel were calibrated comprehensively. Furthermore, based on the commercial finite element program LS-DYNA, the two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric numerical simulation with the 1 point integration single-material Arbitrary Lagrange Euler (ALE) algorithm applied to the projectile was carried out. Finally, based on the validated numerical algorithm as well as the constitutive models and the corresponding model parameters, the energy evolutions of both the projectiles and targets during the penetration process were further discussed. The SiC ceramic and the armor steel/ceramic/UHPC composite structure were verified to be the promising protective material and target configuration with distinguished ballistic performance.

Automated summary

This study investigates the impact resistance of layered composite structures with high hardness and light weight against high-speed projectiles. Through experiments and numerical simulations, SiC ceramics and armor steel/ceramic/UHPC composite structures are identified as promising protective materials and target configurations with distinguished ballistic performance.