Influence of interfacial bonding conditions on the anti-penetration performance of ceramic/metal composite targets

This study analyzes the influence of bonded and unbonded interface conditions on the anti-penetration performance of a ceramic/metal composite target and determines the associated mechanism. The 3D finite element and 3D smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation results revealed that a bonded ceramic/metal target exhibited better anti-penetration performance than an unbonded target, and the associated mechanism was determined. Notably, the bond strength between the ceramic and metal backplate plays an important role in the formation of the ceramic conoid, and the ceramic conoid that formed in the bonded target effectively consumed the kinetic energy of the projectile, thereby improving the anti-penetration performance of ceramic composite armor. To verify this conclusion, we also compare and analyze the anti-penetration performance of interface bonded and unbonded metal/metal composite targets. The results show that due to the absence of the ceramic conoid, the interfacial bonding conditions have little influence on the anti-penetration performance of a metal/metal composite target.