FAILURE INVESTIGATION OF CERAMIC ARMOR BACKED BY ALUMINUM OR ALUMINUM MATRIX COMPOSITE SUPPORT-PLATES

IT IS PROPOSED THAT THE BALLISTIC PERFORMANCE OF TIB2 CERMAIC ARMOR TILES BACKED UP BY A VARIETY OF LIGHTWEIGHT SUPPORT-PLATES BE INVESTIGATED BY 1MEV FLASH X-RAY EQUIPMENT DURING PENETRATION, AND BY MACROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF RECOVERED TARGETS. THE SUPPORT-PLATE TEST MATRIX INCLUDES TWO MATERIALS (A STRUCTURAL ALUMINUM ALLOY AND A CERAMIC REINFORCED ALUMINUM MATRIX COMPOSITE), TWO THICKNESSES, AND ONE PLATE WITH THROUGH HOLES FOR REDUCED WEIGHT. IN ADDITION, AN EPOXY BOND WILL BE COMPARED TO A METALLURGICAL BOND. IN PREVIOUS WORK, BALLISTIC TEST RESULTS HAVE SHOWN THAT THIN METAL PLATES (SUPPORT-PLATES) BONDED TO THE BACK OF ARMOR CERAMICS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED THE PENETRATION RESISTANCE OF THE SYSTEMS IN WHICH THESE MACROCOMPOSITES WERE EMPLOYED. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH THESE SUPPORT-PLATES ENHANCE PENETRATION RESISTANCE, THE DESIRABLE SUPPORT-PLATE PROPERTIES, AND THE REQUISITE CERAMIC TO SUPPORT-PLATE BOND CHARACTERISTICS ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROGRAM IS TO DEVELOP A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THESE IMPORTANT EFFECTS. THE INSIGHTS PROVIDED BY THE PROPOSED PHASE I INVESTIGATION WILL GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF GRADED COMPOSITES IN PHASE II. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS/POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS - THE EXPERIMENTAL DATA OBTAINED WILL BENEFIT CURRENT PENETRATION MODELING EFFORTS IN THE ARMOR/ANTI-ARMOR COMMUNITY, WILL PROVIDE USEFUL INFORMATION FOR THE DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF LAMINATED MACROCOMPOSITE CERAMIC/METAL APPLIQUE ARMORS, AND WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE INFORMATION BASE REQUIRED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ONE PIECE GRADED APPLIQUE ARMORS THAT DO NOT REQUIRE A SUPPORT-PLATE.