Response Characteristics of UHMWPE-Metal Composite Armor Plates Subjected to Combined Blast-Fragment Impact

Zhong Junyang; Zhang Rui; Zhang Qiancheng; Jin Feng; Zhao Chunzheng

doi:10.21656/1000-0887.460127

Volume 47 Issue 8

Aug. 2026

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Article Navigation > Applied Mathematics and Mechanics > 2026 > 47(8): 1019-1034

Zhong Junyang, Zhang Rui, Zhang Qiancheng, Jin Feng, Zhao Chunzheng. Response Characteristics of UHMWPE-Metal Composite Armor Plates Subjected to Combined Blast-Fragment Impact[J]. Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, 2026, 47(8): 1019-1034. doi: 10.21656/1000-0887.460127

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Response Characteristics of UHMWPE-Metal Composite Armor Plates Subjected to Combined Blast-Fragment Impact

doi: 10.21656/1000-0887.460127

1.
State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, P.R. China
2.
School of Textile Science and Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, P.R. China

Received Date: 2025-06-24
Rev Recd Date: 2025-07-02
Publish Date: 2026-08-01

Abstract

Abstract

The damage mechanisms and ballistic performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber reinforced composite/metal armor plates were investigated under combined blast and fragment impact. The combined loading experiments were conducted with composite projectiles. The typical failure modes of the armor plates at varying impact velocities were systematically analyzed. On this basis, the finite element method was employed to validate the experimental results. Furthermore, the key influence of the panel structure layout on its dynamic response was further explored. The results demonstrate that, in the configuration with UHMWPE at the front, the rigid constraint imposed by the steel plate restricts the large deformation capacity of the fiber layers. However, it enhances the stress diffusion effect. Consequently, this configuration exhibits superior blast resistance. Conversely, in the configuration with UHMWPE at the back, the UHMWPE layer fully exerts its potential of viscoelastic deformation. It dissipates the fragment kinetic energy primarily through large deformation, resulting in better penetration resistance. The difference in protective efficacy between these 2 configurations originates from the distinct constraint effects from the material stacking sequence. This constraint effect directly governs the energy distribution mechanisms and the evolution of failure modes within the composite structure.
- ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene,
- composite armor,
- combined load

(Recommended by Liu Shaobao, Member of the Editorial Board of AMM)

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References(20)

References

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