INVESTIGATION OF STRESS WAVES AND FAILURE PHENOMENOLOGY IN ALUMINUM METAL MATRIX COMPOSITE AND TIB2 LAMINATED ARMOR

TO UNDERSTAND BETTER HOW LAMINATED CERAMIC ARMOR PERFORMS, IT IS PROPOSED TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF THE IMPEDANCE MISMATCH AND INTERLAYER BOND STRENGTH (BETWEEN AI(2)0(3) REINFORCED ALUMINUM MATRIX COMPOSITES AND TIB(2)) ON STRESS WAVE PROPAGATION AND PENETRATION PHENOMENOLOGY DUE TO LONG ROD IMPACT. LANXIDE'S UNIQUE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE USED TO FORM A STRONG METALLURGICAL BOND AT THE INTERFACES IN SOME OF THE TARGETS. THREE OBSERVATION TECHNIQUES WILL BE EMPLOYED, NAMELY (I) PIEZORESISTANCE STRAIN-COMPENSATED STRESS GAGES FOR STRESS WAVE MEASUREMENTS, (II) HIGH VOLTAGE FLASH X-RAY EQUIPMENT FOR PENETRATION OBSERVATIONS, AND (III) TARGET RECOVERY FOR POST-MORTEM ANALYSIS. LAMINATED ARMORS MADE FROM LAYERS OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS ARE USED FOR BALLISTIC PROTECTION AGAINST ALL TYPES OF KINETIC ENERGY PROJECTILES AND SHAPED CHARGES. ARMORS THAT CONTAIN CERAMICS ARE LAMINATED FOR STRUCTURAL AS WELL AS BALLISTIC REASONS. THE RESULTING INTERFACES CAN EXHIBIT DIFFERENT MISMATCHES OF MECHANICAL IMPEDANCE AND BOND STRENGTHS. THESE INTERFACIAL CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE USED TO CONTROL AND MITIGATE STRESS WAVES PRODUCED BY BALLISTIC IMPACT AND PENETRATION. THE RESULTS FROM PHASE I WILL BE USED IN PHASE II TO DESIGN, FABRICATE AND TEST MULTILAYERED TARGETS. THE EXPERIMENTAL DATA OBTAINED WILL BENEFIT CURRENT PENETRATION MODELING EFFORTS IN THE ARMOR/ANTI-ARMOR COMMUNITY AND WILL PROVIDE NEEDED INFORMATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW FAMILY OF MULTILAYERED HEAVY ARMOR SYSTEMS COMPRISED OF NOVEL COMBINATIONS OF MATERIALS.