Multi-scale ballistic material modeling of cross-plied compliant composites

The open-literature material properties for fiber and polymeric matrix, unit-cell microstructural characteristics, atomic-level simulations and unit-cell based finite-element analyses are all used to construct a new continuum-type ballistic material model for 0°/90° cross-plied highly-oriented polyethylene fiber-based armor-grade composite laminates. The material model is formulated in such a way that it can be readily implemented into commercial finite-element programs like ANSYS/Autodyn ANSYS/Autodyn version 11.0, User Documentation, Century Dynamics Inc. a subsidiary of ANSYS Inc. (2007)] and ABAQUS/Explicit ABAQUS version 6.7, User Documentation, Dessault Systems, 2007] as a User Material Subroutine. Model validation included a series of transient non-linear dynamics simulations of the transverse impact of armor-grade composite laminates with two types of projectiles, which are next compared with their experimental counterparts. This comparison revealed that a reasonably good agreement is obtained between the experimental and the computational analyses with respect to: (a) the composite laminates’ capability, at different areal densities, to defeat the bullets with different impact velocities; (b) post-mortem spatial distribution of damage within the laminates; (c) the temporal evolution of composite armor laminate back-face bulging and delamination; and (d) the existence of three distinct penetration stages (i.e. an initial filament shearing/cutting dominated stage, an intermediate stage characterized by pronounced filament/matrix de-bonding/decohesion and the final stage associated with the extensive back-face delamination and bulging of the armor panel).