Ballistic performance of hybrid thermoplastic composite armors reinforced with Kevlar and basalt fabrics. (June 2017) - Bandaru, Aswani Kumar
Abstract: Ballistic performance of hybrid thermoplastic composite armors reinforced with Kevlar and basalt fabrics of 2D plain woven (2D-P) and 3D angle interlock (3D-A) architectures was investigated through experiments and simulations. Two types of hybrid armors were manufactured with polypropylene (PP) as a matrix: one with a non-symmetric (H-1) stacking sequence and the other with a symmetric (H-2) stacking sequence. Ballistic impact tests were imparted with a 9 mm full metal jacket (FMJ) projectile on the H-1 and H-2 armors. H-1 armor exhibited full perforations for the velocities between 365 and 395 m/s, while the H-2 armor was able to confront successfully. The front face damage of the armor was not influenced by the stacking sequence. The ballistic limit was increased by 26.27% from H-1 armor to H-2 armor, indicating the influence of placing 3D-A fabrics on the front face. However, the overall stacking sequence showed a significant influence on the overall ballistic performance of composite armors.