Laser Induced Shockwave as Delaminator of Composite Material for Ballistic Protection at High Strain Rate
Abstract
Societal concerns on security push light weight armor for ballistic protection to remain a topic of interest. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene composites (UHMWPE) have shown appreciable performances for ballistic protection, because of their ability to mitigate kinetic energy of projectiles by various mechanisms of dissipation and because of their lower density. Among dissipative mechanisms of interest, delamination is one of them. In order estimate the bond strength between two plies, the laser induced shock wave technique has been utilized on Tensylon® thin panels. Firstly, this paper introduces this technique and its capabilities with respect to the characterization of ballistic protections at very high strain rates (106 s−1). Secondly, a set of experimental results is shown and interpreted to obtain the interply bond strength, through the spallation process. At last, experimental results are supported by a numerical model that is in the verge of being a predictive tool.