DYMAT 2009 (2009) 563-567
DOI: 10.1051/dymat/2009080

Damage mechanism in high hardness armor (HHA) steel subjected to V50 ballistic impact

A.G. Odeshi¹, M.N. Bassim² and M. Bolduc<sup>3

1</sup>  Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, 57 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A9, Canada
²  Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, EITC, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
³  Defence Research and Development Canada, Valcartier, Quebec, Canada

Published online: 15 September 2009

Abstract
A high hardness armor (HHA) steel plate was subjected to a standard V50 ballistic impact test. Microstructural evolution leading to deformation and perforation of the plates during projectile penetration is investigated. Penetration of the steel plate by the projectile is promoted by shear strain localization and occurrence of adiabatic shear bands which were observed around the perforations. Cracking of the shear bands triggered the failure and perforation of the steel plate during the ballistic impact. The primary transformed bands enveloping the projectile has an average thickness of about 55 μm, while narrower secondary shear bands of about 12 μm wide branched out of the primary band leading to secondary cracking which propagated from the wall of perforation into the armor plate.

© EDP Sciences 2009