The mechanism by which a long rod penetrates a steel-encased ceramic block was sought by performing impact experiments at a range of velocities, and examining the fracture and deformation in the recovered targets and impactors. The key processes are the crushing of a small volume of ceramic adjacent to the leading surface of the advancing penetrator, and the subsequent flow of the fine fragments lateral to and then opposite the direction of attack. The results suggest that nonconventional material properties such as the dynamic compressive failure energy and the friction, flow and abrasive properties of the finely fragmented material govern the penetration resistance of confined ceramics. This understanding of penetration mechanisms can be used to guide development of specialized tests and failure models to measure pertinent material properties and to predict penetration behavior, respectively.
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