Metallic composite material to protect against high velocity projectiles and high energy impacts

Catastrophic failure of structures due to the impact of high-energy waves or high-velocity projectiles can occur in a wide range of situations, including high-speed train ballast impacts, terrorist acts, or various accidental situations in the industrial environment. Therefore, high energy adsorbent materials are essential for the protection of both hardware and people. A common requirement for all its applications is the development of materials that, with a reduced weight, maintain the guarantee of high levels of energy absorption.
The objective of this work has been the investigation of lighter metallic composite systems with suitable properties capable of withstanding mainly high-velocity projectiles and high energy impacts. (E ≈ 100 J or v ≈ 120 m/s). Hybrid metallic test panels have been designed and fabricated using layers of metallic aluminum and aluminum foam.
In order to evaluate their efficiency in the case of a high energy impact, the panels have been tested under simulated conditions of high velocity projectile impact by means of a compressed air cannon. The tested panels have been evaluated by visual inspection as well as X-ray tomography and infrared thermography. The deformation of the panel, as well as the delamination between structural layers, has been evaluated for the different proposed solutions.