Abstract
Alumina is commonly used in composite shields. It presents low fracture toughness and this property is related to resistance to multiple shots. In order to improve the lifetime in applications, an alternative would be the use of multilayer ceramics. This study evaluated the ballistic performance of multilayer alumina/epoxy structures and the effect of glass fiber as a reinforcing material. The results were compared to individual alumina plates of the same total thickness as multilayer systems. The ballistic performance of the Al2O3/Al mosaic panels was evaluated using a DOP (depth of penetration) ballistic test with the 7.62 mm armor-piercing projectile. The results indicated that the individual plate showed better performance. In the case of Al2O3/epoxy structures, the ballistic resistance decreased with the reduction of the thickness of the alumina layer and with the increase of the epoxy layer. The glass fiber showed no improvement in ballistic performance.
Keywords:
ceramic shielding; alumina; multilayer structure; ballistic performance
