Abstract: Ballistic impact tests are conducted using 12.7 mm AP and ceramic/metal composite armor with different ceramic materials. The relationship between different ceramic materials and the main failure characteristics of the recovered projectile core and ceramics is analyzed by observing the macro failure characteristics. A multistage screening and weighing of fragments of the projectile core and target with different ceramic materials is carried out to analyze the size distribution of the fragments. The results show that fracture toughness has obvious effects on the fracture morphology and particle size distribution of both the ceramics and the projectile. As the fracture toughness of ceramics increases, the mass of small fragments decreases, the mass of large fragments increases, and the degree of breakage decreases. In addition, radial cracks decrease with the increase in the fracture cone angle of the ceramic, leading to an increase in the overall volume of the ceramic cone as well as in the percentage of the fragmented area. The ceramic fragments are mostly large particle sizes. The overall broken scale of the ceramic cone increases, and the broken degree decreases. The size distribution of fragments in the projectile and ceramic cone meets the Rosin-Rammler distribution model. As for the fragmentation of the projectile, larger fragments are mainly caused by the compression shear fracture and tensile fracture due to stress unloading, while smaller fragmentation only occurs at the nose of the projectile, mostly due to the interaction between the microcracks generated by stress waves and the intergranular cracks induced by the impact. The main failure characteristics of the ceramic panel are radial cracks and ceramic cones.

Key words: ceramic/metalcompositearmor, fracturetoughness, fragmentationscale, ceramiccone, 12.7mmAP