Ballistic resistance of biomimetic ceramic composite armor: An integrated analysis of impact dynamics and structural response

Abstract

This study introduces a biomimetic ceramic composite armor system, composed of multilayered biomimetic ceramic tiles and fiber back-plates. The ballistic performance of the composite armor against T12A steel projectiles was investigated through experimental and numerical simulation studies. The experimental findings indicate that, while the biomimetic ceramic structure demonstrates weaker ballistic resistance compared to a monolithic ceramic of equal thickness, it effectively inhibits crack propagation, thereby enabling it to withstand the impact of multiple projectiles. Additionally, the interfacial effects within the layers of the biomimetic ceramic structure create a more chaotic stress field inside the T12A steel projectile, resulting in a higher degree of fragmentation of the projectile compared to penetration through monolithic ceramic. A three-dimensional numerical model was established to analyze the impact of projectile velocity and impact points on the ballistic performance of the biomimetic ceramic composite structure. Simulation results reveal that as the initial velocity of the projectile increases, the energy absorption efficiency of the biomimetic ceramic structure improves, whereas the energy absorption efficiency of the UHMWPE laminated board decreases. This phenomenon is associated with the failure mechanism of the UHMWPE laminated board transitioning from tensile failure to shear failure. Moreover, when the impact point is at the corner of the ceramic tile, the residual projectile head is sharper, and the remaining velocity of the projectile after penetrating the biomimetic ceramic composite structure is higher.