Study On The Effect Of Configuration On Front Plate And Back Plate Of Ceramic Composite Armor Based On Al₂O₃

A DOP (depth of penetration) experimental program was presented which investigated the effect of configuration on front plate and back plate of Al2O3based ceramic composite armor (ceramic thickness, interface state between front plate and back plate, wave impedance matching between front plate and back plate). The DOP-tests were performed for normal impact using12.7mm API (armor-piercing incendiary). The ceramic composite armor is composited of ceramic front plate and metal back plate.As increase of the ceramic plate thickness (within3.5mm-12mm), the protection efficiency of the ceramic plate (Nc) increase at first and decrease later. The protection efficiency of the ceramic composite armor (N) rapidly increases at first and slowly increases later. There is an optimum thickness (about8mm) of the ceramic plate while the protection efficiency of the ceramic plate reaches a maximum. At the same configuration of front plate and back plate, the protection efficiency of the ceramic composite armor with adhesive between the front plate and the back plate is larger than those without adhesive. The protection efficiency of the ceramic composite armor which back plate material with higher wave impedance is larger than those back plate material with lower wave impedance.The penetration processes of12.7mm API into the ceramic composite armors with different ceramic plate thickness were simulated using AUTODYN program. The computer simulation results were coincident with the DOP tests.