Ballistic Limit of Stacked Fabrics Made of Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Fibers Subjected to Hypervelocity Projectile Impacts

Abstract

We examined the penetration thickness and hole size of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber fabrics when spherical projectiles made of aluminum alloy 2017-T4 struck the fiber fabrics at impact velocities ranging from 1.5 to 3.8 km/s. At impact velocities less than 3 km/s, the penetration thickness increased with impact velocity, whereas the penetration thickness decreased with increasing impact velocity over 3 km/s. An impact velocity over 3 km/s resulted in projectile fragmentation, and the area of the penetration holes changed with penetration thickness of the projectiles. The impact crater was bulb shaped.