Optimal skin simulant for ballistic testing

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Materials Science
• Biophysics

Background:

• Human skin is a complex, anisotropic material with mechanical properties varying by age and gender.
• Existing skin simulants in forensic ballistic testing exhibit significant inconsistencies in reported perforation energy density.
• Current standard materials, like chrome-crusted cowhide, suffer from inherent natural variability, impacting experimental reproducibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the limitations of current skin simulants in forensic ballistic research.
• To investigate the development of an adjustable and customizable skin simulant.
• To evaluate a novel gelatine-based skin analogue for improved consistency and accessibility.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an extensive literature review on existing skin simulant studies and forensic testing experiences.
• Investigated a 4 mm thick gelatine layer with varying concentrations (30-45 wt%) as a potential skin analogue.
• Compared the ballistic resistance (v50%) of the gelatine analogue to published literature values and cowhide data.

Main Results:

• Reported energy density at perforation for existing studies varied by over 100% (0.113 J/mm² to 0.239 J/mm²).
• Chrome-crusted cowhide showed significant variability in ballistic tests (v50% from 113 m/s to 200 m/s).
• The gelatine skin analogue demonstrated good agreement with literature values as concentration was adjusted, indicating potential for consistency.

Conclusions:

• Existing skin simulants lack the necessary consistency for accurate forensic replication due to human skin's complexity and material variability.
• The developed in-house gelatine skin analogue offers a promising, consistent, and accessible alternative for ballistic testing.
• This customizable gelatine approach could establish a more reliable standard in forensic skin simulant research.