Effect of aluminum reinforcement on the dynamic fragmentation of SiC ceramics

The threat of small-to-medium caliber armor piercing projectiles requires efficient protections that can be achieved by using bilayered configurations. They consist of a front face made up of a hard material and a back face made up of a ductile material. These solutions are among the most interesting in terms of mass efficiency. To design such bilayered concepts, one needs to understand and model fragmentation of the ceramic during the first microseconds after impact. This cracking pattern may significantly reduce the multi-hit capability of the armor. A new material made of porous silicon carbide infiltrated with aluminum is considered. The presence of an aluminum skeleton may improve the residual strength after impact. The present study deals with a comparison of fragmentation properties of this new material with those of porous silicon carbide. Quasi-static experiments and edge-on-impact tests are performed. The role of aluminum is discussed. An anisotropic damage model coupled with a fragmentation study is used to analyze the experimental observations.