Ballistic Behavior of Bioinspired Nacre-like Composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Nacre, a natural composite, exhibits exceptional toughness due to its hierarchical layered structure.
• Bioinspired materials aim to replicate nacre's properties for enhanced performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To numerically investigate the ballistic performance of nacre-inspired multilayered composites.
• To compare the performance of nacre-like structures against continuous layered and monolithic plates.

Main Methods:

• Finite element (FE) simulations were employed to model ballistic impact.
• Simulations covered impact velocities from 300-600 m/s using rigid and elastoplastic projectiles.
• The study analyzed composite plates made of aluminum alloy 7075-T651 tablets bonded with epoxy.

Main Results:

• The nacre-like composite plate demonstrated superior ballistic performance compared to bulk and continuous layered configurations.
• Improved performance is attributed to ductile failure, localized plastic deformation of tablets, and interface debonding/friction.
• All configurations performed better against elastoplastic projectiles due to projectile deformation and increased contact area.

Conclusions:

• The hierarchical layered design mimicking nacre significantly enhances ballistic resistance.
• Bioinspired structural design offers a promising approach for developing advanced protective materials.
• Understanding failure mechanisms is crucial for optimizing composite performance under impact.