Ballistic impact efficiency of polymer composites

The use of polymer-based composite materials in the aircraft and automotive industries has been rapidly increasing. In this paper the impact efficiency of some polymer-based composites is experimentally studied. This involved the manufacture of a quantity of thermosetting resin composite specimens using the hand lay-up process. Subsequently ballistic testing was performed using a selection of commonly available firearms with the resulting characteristics experimentally obtained using mechanical and C-scan methods. The results were compared relatively and with previous studies. Eventually the promising advantages for using such materials on an armoured car are emphasized. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.