Experimental investigations regarding the behaviour of composite panels based on polyurea and Kevlar or Dyneema layers under blast and fragments

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study to determine the behaviour of composite panels, made of polyurea sprayed on Kevlar or Dyneema support layers, under blast and fragments produced by an improvised explosive device (IED). The fragments used for tests were steel bearing balls of 8 and 10 mm propelled by a plastic explosive charge and bullets cal. 7.62 mm, type Full Metal Jacketed Armor Piercing (FMJ AP) and Hollow Point Boat Tail (HPBT), with impact velocity greater than 500 m/s. To determine the fragments attenuation, their velocities before and after the impact with the composite panel were measured and compared. In order to assess the blast attenuation, the reflected pressures measured by two face-on sensors, one of which was covered by the composite panel, were compared. Also, to explain the behaviour of composite panels under blast, the shock polars of materials in the panel's composition were plotted. The results have shown that the composite panels have a low rate of attenuation of fragment velocities but a very good ability to attenuate the pressure and impulse associated with the shock wave.