The Fracture Modes of Biomimetic Borosilicate Glass Protective Composite

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Biomimetics

Background:

• Nature's designs, like shells and scales, offer inspiration for advanced protective materials.
• Transparent protective composites require enhanced anti-penetration capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate biomimetic borosilicate glass composites inspired by nacreous and tortoiseshell structures.
• To investigate the impact of structural arrangements and tablet size on dynamic performance under high-speed impact.

Main Methods:

• Ballistics experiments were conducted on designed borosilicate glass composites.
• Mechanical properties and damage mechanisms under high-speed impact were examined.
• Effects of tablet arrangement (aligned vs. staggered) and tablet size were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Biomimetic structures outperformed traditional whole plate composites in impact resistance.
• Average damage area decreased by 57.6-66.5% and energy dissipation increased by ~5% with biomimetic structures.
• Staggered tablet arrangements and smaller tablet sizes showed superior anti-penetration performance.

Conclusions:

• The tortoiseshell structure with staggered small tablets offers optimal ballistic performance.
• Enhanced locking effects at tablet interfaces contribute to superior impact resistance.
• Findings provide insights for developing advanced transparent armors using biomimetic composites.