Abstract

The catastrophic failure of structures due to the impact of high energy waves or high speed projectiles can occur in a wide range of situations, including ballast impacts on high speed trains, manmade terrorist acts or accidental industrial events. High energy absorbing materials are therefore essential for the protection of both the hardware as well as personnel. One common requirement in all applications is the development of materials with reduced weight whilst guaranteeing high energy absorption levels. The aim of this work has been the investigation of lighter weight metallic composite systems with suitable properties aimed primarily at withstanding high-velocity projectiles and high energy impacts. (E≈ 100 J or v ≈ 120 m/s). Metallic hybrid test panels have been designed and manufactured using both aluminum and aluminum foam layers. To evaluate their efficiency in the case of a high energy impact the panels have been tested under simulated high-velocity projectile impact conditions by means of a pneumatic air cannon.. The tested panels have been assessed using visual inspection as well as X-ray tomography and IR thermography. The panel deformation as well as the delamination between structural layers has been assessed for the different proposed solutions.