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Ballistic impact performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite armour

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Abstract

Present work deals with the nonlinear finite element analyses of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). UHMWPE has been presented for ballistic design investigation of lightweight body armour using ANSYS-Workbench. The ballistic performance of UHMWPE has been compared with Kevlar/epoxy composite and alumina. The study is presented in terms of the ballistic limit of UHMWPE, Kevlar/epoxy, and alumina plate, the implication of obliquity (at 30°, 45°, and 60°), projectile shape (elliptical, conical, and spherical shape). The sequencing order of material layup for a bi-layer composite and ballistic performance of single-layered UHMWPE has been compared with the multi-layered plate. The parametric studies have been presented in the form of residual velocity, the ratio of energy transferred to impact velocity of the ballistic plate, and perforation rate for the single and multi-layered UHMWPE. The results of the numerical analyses of UHMWPE have been compared with the Kevlar/epoxy composite. It has been found that the armour system made of UHMWPE laminate composite resulted in a 40.6% weight reduction compared to Kevlar/epoxy configuration with a 17.3% higher ballistic limit.

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Abbreviations

V 50 :

Ballistic limit velocity

Et :

Energy transferred to plate by a projectile

Ek :

Impact energy of the projectile

V i :

The impact velocity of the projectile

V r :

The residual velocity of the projectile

m p :

Mass of the projectile

m f :

Mass of the fractured part

P :

The pressure at the impact point

A 1, A 2, A 3, B o, T 1, T 2 :

Material constant for Mie-Gruneisen model

\(\rho\) :

Density

\(\mathop \rho \nolimits_{o}\) :

Zero pressure density

\(\omega\) :

Internal energy per unit mass

\(\mathop \sigma \nolimits_{u}^{*}\) :

Normalize intact strength

\(\mathop \sigma \nolimits_{f}^{*}\) :

Normalized fractured strength

\(\dot{\varepsilon }\) :

Normalized strain rate

\({S \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {S {\mathop S\nolimits_{h} }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\mathop S\nolimits_{h} }}\) :

Normalized strength at Hogonoit Elastic Limit

\({P \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {P {\mathop P\nolimits_{h} }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\mathop P\nolimits_{h} }}\) :

Normalized pressure at Hogonoit Elastic Limit

D :

Scalar damage parameter (\(0 \le D \le 1\))

G, B, H, N, M :

Material constants

M m :

Mass of Kevlar/epoxy or alumina plate

M U :

Mass of UHMWPE plate

V K :

The ballistic limit for Kevlar/epoxy plate

V U :

Ballistic limit of UHMWPE plate

\(\mathop X\nolimits_{s1}^{1}\) and \(\mathop X\nolimits_{s2}^{2}\) :

Xi is the deformed position at the end of 1st surface and at the starting of 2nd surface, respectively

\(\mathop T\nolimits_{s1}^{1}\) and \(\mathop T\nolimits_{s2}^{2}\) :

Ti is the traction force at the end of 1st surface and at the starting of 2nd surface respectively

\(\lambda\) :

Lagrange multiplier

\(\Gamma\) :

Domain of integral

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, 175075, India

    Nayan Pundhir, Himanshu Pathak & Sunny Zafar

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  1. Nayan Pundhir
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  2. Himanshu Pathak
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  3. Sunny Zafar
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Correspondence to Himanshu Pathak.

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Pundhir, N., Pathak, H. & Zafar, S. Ballistic impact performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite armour. Sādhanā 46, 194 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-021-01730-0

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