Application of the Depth-of-Penetration Test Methodology to Characterize Ceramics for Personnel Protection

摘要

The depth of penetration (DOP) or thick-backing technique allows the ballistic evaluation and ranking of armor ceramics independent of armor configuration. The test projectile is fired into a ceramic tile backed by a semi-infinite block. The residual penetration into the backing material is measured and compared to the penetration of the projectile into a monolithic block of the backing material. This report adapts this technique to evaluate armor ceramics for personnel protection using the caliber .30 armor-piercing M2 (APM2) and armor-grade aluminum alloy 5083 (Al 5083), MIL-A-46027, as the backing material. Penetration of the APM2 into monolithic Al 5083 was determined over a range of velocities. Several thicknesses of boron carbide (B4C), silicon carbide (SiC), and aluminum oxide (Al2O3) were tested to determine ballistic performance as a function of ceramic areal density. Projectile cores were recovered and analyzed. Postmortem condition of the cores was correlated to DOP results.