Structural Degradation of High Performance Armor

Abstract

Conventional ballistic evaluation of armor plate is based on a critical impact velocity for penetration. At high hardness levels and/or low temperatures, ballistic impact can give rise to extensive plate cracking, resulting in structural degradation whether or not penetration occurs. This report provides preliminary results on a test procedure to assess the plate cracking sensitivity of high strength, steel armor plate. The procedure involves the production of a large flaw, or crack starter, at the center of a plate and then impacting the center of the opposite face with a soft, blunt-nosed projectile. The impact tests are performed over a range of temperatures to yield a plate shatter transition temperature (PSTT). The PSTT is simply the highest plate temperature at which extensive plate cracking occurs. The influence of PSTT test parameters and correlation with crack arrest fracture toughness over the same temperature range are currently being studied.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1989
Accession Number
ADA211189

Entities

People

  • Edward J. Ripling
  • Eric B. Kula
  • John G. Cowie
  • Morris Azrin

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Armor Plate
  • Degradation
  • Engineering
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Information Processing
  • Materials
  • Materials Engineering
  • Materials Science
  • Mechanical Properties
  • Mechanics
  • Military Research
  • New Hampshire
  • Resistance
  • Rhode Island
  • Transition Temperature
  • United States

Readers

  • Materials Science (Mechanical Engineering).
  • ballistics.