A Review of Experimental Approaches to Analyse Damage Modes and the Ballistic Performances of Armour Ceramics
Une Revue des Approches Expérimentales pour Analyser les Modes d'Endommagement et les Performances Balistiques de Céramiques pour Blindage
Résumé
During the three last decades several testing configurations have been developed to investigate the dynamic behaviour and damage modes in armour ceramics under high-strain rates loading conditions. The edge-on impact configuration and the pyrotechnic spherical expansion experimental method can be used to investigate the tensile damage and microplasticity mechanisms in ceramics at strain-rates ranging from 103 s-1 to 105 s-1. The Hugoniot Elastic Limit and the spall strength of ceramics can be analysed by means of plate-impact experiments or highpulsed power technologies (GEPI testing facility). The tandem configuration that consists in impacting a ceramic target previously subjected to an impulsive load aims at characterising the strength of a pre-fragmented ceramic under the impact of a penetrating projectile. In the present work, the principle of each testing configuration and the main results obtained with SiC ceramics are introduced. The main observed damage mechanisms and the obtained dynamic response are explained. These experimental data allows identifying a constitutive model of ceramic to be used in a numerical simulation describing the ballistic impact of an AP projectile against a bilayered configuration. This numerical approach is necessary to highlight the state of loading applied to the ceramic front plate and to deduce which are the main mechanical properties involved in the ballistic performance of armour ceramics.