Influence of material properties on the ballistic performance of ceramics for personal body armour

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kaufmann, Christian | Cronin, Duane | Worswick, Michael | Pageau, Gilles | Beth, Andre

Affiliations: University of Waterloo, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1 | Defence Research Establishment Valcartier, 2459 Pie IX Blvd. North, Val Belair, Quebec, Canada G3J 1X5 | Barrday, Incorporated 75 Moorefield Street, P.O. Box 790, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada N1R 5W6

Note: [] Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 519 888 4567 x 2346; E-mail: cfkaufma@engmail.uwaterloo.ca

Abstract: In support of improved personal armour development, depth of penetration tests have been conducted on four different ceramic materials including alumina, modified alumina, silicon carbide and boron carbide. These experiments consisted of impacting ceramic tiles bonded to aluminum cylinders with 0.50 caliber armour piercing projectiles. The results are presented in terms of ballistic efficiency, and the validity of using ballistic efficiency as a measure of ceramic performance was examined. In addition, the correlation between ballistic performance and ceramic material properties, such as elastic modulus, hardness, spall strength and Hugoniot Elastic Limit, has been considered.

Journal: Shock and Vibration, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 51-58, 2003