CAMCS
Armor Ceramics
Characterization and Modeling of Armor Ceramics
Ceramic armor materials have been studied for a number of years, with an increased emphasis over the last decade on the improvement in such materials through focused design efforts. There is a substantial literature on the ballistic evaluation of ceramic armor packages. Many phenomena in such experiments are not well understood. It has been demonstrated that the dynamic properties of a ceramic produced by two different processing routes can be markedly different, associated with variations in microstructure and defect distribution. Thus, it is important to be able to characterize the existing defect distributions in a material, to understand the effect of these defect distributions on the material response at high rates and under shock loading, and then be able to use modeling approaches to suggest directions for improvement in materials and processing design.
The work in this thrust is intended to address these issues, through science-driven, problem-directed research, particularly focused on vehicular armor applications, although the insights developed will be useful for personnel armor as well.
Long-Range Objectives
- Provide direct links between dynamic mechanical properties, processing routes, and pre-existing defect structures in armor ceramics
- Develop quantitative understanding of dynamic deformation and failure mechanisms in armor ceramics
- Develop models for high-rate deformation of intact and failed ceramics under multiaxial loading