2ND BRAZILIAN CONFERENCE ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS BCCM2

So Jos dos Campos-SP, September 15-18, 2014

THE BALLISTIC IMPACT AND QUASI-STATIC PUNCH SHEAR

BEHAVIOR OF FIBERGLASS POLYMER COMPOSITES
Agnys J. G. Fernandes, Isac P. Guedes1, Walter B. Filho1, Wanderley F. Amorim Jnior1*
Department of Mechanical Engineering , Campina Grande Federal University, Campina Grande,
Brazil,
* Wanderley F. Amorim Jnior (engenhariabrasileira@gmail.com)

Abstract: In the last decades, the composite materials were used in the modern ballistic armor
systems. Thus, techniques have been developed to predict its mechanical properties, damage
mechanisms and strength associated to the ballistic impact penetration. The objective of this work was
the ballistic impact and quasi-static punch shear behavior of fiberglass polymer composites. The
materials used in the experiments were: woven fabric and chopped strand mat E-glass fiber and
polyester resin. The composites submitted to ballistic and quasi-static Punch Shear tests had 1, 5, 10,
15 and 20 layers and 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15 and 20 layers respectively. A quasi-static Punch Shear fixture
test was developed. The best ballistic performance composite was the 10 layers woven fabric. In quasistatic Punch Shear test, it was possible to analyze the internal fracture of composites, the load x
displacement behavior was observed and a fracture analyze correlations between quasi-static Punch
Shear and Ballistic damage were done.
Keywords: Fiberglass Polymer Composites, Ballistic Impact, Quasi-static Punch Shear.

2ND BRAZILIAN CONFERENCE ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS BCCM2

So Jos dos Campos-SP, September 15-18, 2014

1 Introduction
Techniques have been developed to predict its
mechanical properties, damage mechanisms and
strength associated to the ballistic impact penetration.
It has been proposed in the literature that the damage
mechanisms in a high velocity impact event are as
those quasi-static punch shear test [1]. The objective
of this work was the ballistic impact and quasi-static
punch shear behavior of fiberglass polymer
composites.
2 Experimental procedures
2.1 Materials
In this study, were used as baseline composite
materials made from 600 g/m woven fabric and 450
g/m chopped strand mat E-glass fiber and polyester
resin using hand lay-up process. The process to
manufacture the composite materials was made at
the EquiFiber LTDA, Campina Grande (ParaibaBrazil) firm. Specimens had nominal dimension 300
mm x 300 mm, to ballistic test, and 127 mm x 127
mm, to quasi-static punch shear test. The composite
materials are designated as showed in the Tab. 1.
Tab. 1. Codification of the composite materials.
Ballistic test composites
Chopped strand
Woven fabric
N of layers
mat
T1
M1
1
T5
M5
5
T10
M10
10
T15
M15
15
T20
M20
20
Quasi-static punch shear test composites
Chopped strand
Woven fabric
N of layers
mat
TP5
5
TP8
MP8
8
TP10
MP10
10
TP12
MP12
12
TP14
MP14
14
TP15
MP15
15
TP20
MP20
20

Fig. 1. Support and clamps holding a composite

plate used in the ballistic tests.
The ballistic tests were carried out according to NIJ
Standard 0101.03, II-A armor level [2]. The
ammunition used to the ballistic tests was CBC 9
mm Luger FMJ, weighing 8.0 g and 332 m/s of
velocity, on average. The target (composite plates)
was fixed on the support by 4 clamps, on the edges,
and the shots were made following the test distance
according as showed in NIJ Standard 0101.03 [2], in
a firing field in Campina Grande PB, Brazil.
2.3 Quasi-static punch shear tests
The methodology to the quasi-static punch shear test
follows the experiments performed by Xiao et al.
(2005) [1]. The fixture consists of a support-plate
(200 mm x 200 mm, 50.8 mm thick) with a circular
hole at the center, a thin cover-plate (200 mm x 200
mm, 12.7 mm thick) with a circular hole similar to
the support-plate, and a cylindrical punch with flat
tip (9 mm diameter). The composite plates are bolted
in the fixture by 4 screws, at the 4 corners of the
support. The displacement rate performed in the
tests was 2.54 mm/min. The ratio between the
support span and the punch diameter, named at Xiao
et al. (2005) of span to punch ratio (SPR = Ds/Dp), it
was 8.0, as showed in the Fig. 2 [1].

2.2 Ballistic tests

To perform the ballistic tests, it was necessary to
manufacture a support to hold the composite plates.
This support was based in other two supports of the
literature. Fig. 1 shows the support holding a
composite plate used in the ballistic tests.
2

2ND BRAZILIAN CONFERENCE ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS BCCM2

So Jos dos Campos-SP, September 15-18, 2014

3 Experimental results and discussion

3.1 Ballistic tests results
The Tab. 2 presents the results of the ballistic tests in
the fiberglass polymeric composites

Fig. 2. Schematic drawing of a quasi-static punch

shear test fixture [1].
Figure 3 shows the test fixture at the machine. The
equipment used to these tests was an
electromechanical universal test machine, Instron,
model 5582, with 100 kN of capacity. Figure 3
presents the fixture adapted in the Instron machine
during the quase-static punch shear test realized at
the LaMMeA (Laboratrio Multidisciplinar de
Materiais e Estruturas Ativas), laboratory of the
Mechanical Engineering Department of the Campina
Grande Federal University.

Tab. 2. Results of the ballistic tests.

Composite
Non-perforated
Perforated (P)*
plates
(NP)**
M1
X
M5
X
M10
X
M15
X
M20
X
T1
X
T5
X
T10
X
T15
X
T20
X
* Perforated (P)- the projectile pass through the target
** Non-perforated (NP) the projectile didnt pass through the
target

The composite thickness of the plates that were nonperforated (NP) was analyzed and compared, how
showed in the Fig. 4. It can be seen that the T10
prototype armour is thinner among all the others
composite plates. The thickness of the T10 plate is
about 50% smaller than M15 plate.

Fig. 4. Thickness of the non-perforated (NP)

composite plates in the ballistic tests.
Fig. 3. Quase-static punch shear test held at
LaMMeA.

It was calculated also the Specific Energy Absorbed

(SEA) which is defined as the ratio between the
kinetic energy dispensed by the projectile and the
areal density (Jm/kg unit). The knowledge of this
parameter allows the comparison of the ballistic
efficiency in armours with different areal density,
submitted to the same impact kinetic energy [3]. The
Fig. 5 shows the calculated values of SEA to the
3

2ND BRAZILIAN CONFERENCE ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS BCCM2

So Jos dos Campos-SP, September 15-18, 2014

non-perforated (NP) composite plates. It was

adopted as projectile kinetic energy 443 J.
Analyzing the graphic of Fig. 5, can be seen that the
woven fabric composite plates had a better ballistic
efficiency compared to chopped strand mat
composite plates. The T10 plate has SEA 42%
higher than T15 plate, which is the second plate with
higher efficiency (SEA), and 76% higher than M15
plate.

Fig. 5. Specific Energy Absorbed (SEA) of the nonperforated (NP) composite plates.
3.2 Results of the quasi-static punch shear tests

the greater number of layers of the composites,

higher the size of the region that occurred fiber
compression-shear.
The woven fabric composites present the
compression-shear region higher than tension-shear
region. The woven fabric composites damages
observed: fiber and matrix rupture, delamination in
the region of the punch penetration, and fiber-matrix
debonding.
Figure 8 present the damage zones in a chopped
strand mat composite plate, MP10, where is possible
note: the compression-shear fiber zone, a formed
plug (which is a part of material that failed due to
the compression loads imposed by the punch) and
the residual material below the plug. Apparently,
after the plug is formed, it is pushed down by the
punch against the residual material. Than the
residual material undergoes bending deformation;
this residual material zone apparently behaves like a
beam.
It was verified that the main damages in theses
composite plates, were: fiber rupture, matrix
cracking, delamination.

The Fig. 6 shows the internal damage (cross-section)

in the TP14 woven fabric composite plate, where,
possibly, the failures that occurred due to the loads
imposed by the punch were: fiber shear by
compression-shear (top face); and, fiber shear by
tension-shear (bottom face). All other woven fabric
composites presented similar damage behavior to
that TP14 woven fabric composite. Similar behavior
to other types of composite materials is observed in
Gama and Gillespie Jr research paper [4].

Fig. 6. Types of internal damage caused in the quasistatic punch shear tests. TP14 composite plate.

Fig. 7. Cross-section of the woven fabric composites

tested by quasi-static punch shear. a) TP5, b) TP8, c)
TP10, d) TP12, e) TP14, f) TP15, g) TP20 plates.

The Fig. 7 shows the cross-section of the woven

fabric composites tested by quasi-static punch shear.
Analyzing the damage in these composites was
possible note that:

2ND BRAZILIAN CONFERENCE ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS BCCM2

So Jos dos Campos-SP, September 15-18, 2014

Fig. 8. Types of internal damage caused in the quasistatic punch shear tests. MP10 composite plate.
The Figure 9 presents the woven fabric composites
load x displacement quasi-static punch shear curves.
The woven fabric composites presented higher load
peaks increasing the number of layers. The line
slope changes as the number of layers increase.
These curves show a bi-linear behavior. The TP12,
TP14, TP15 and TP20 composite plate, showing a
load drop behavior in the shape of knee, where
occurs matrix cracking and delamination [1].

Fig. 10. The chopped strand mat composites load x

displacement quasi-static punch shear curves.
Figures 11 and 12 present the comparison between
quasi-static punch shear and ballistic woven fabric
and chopped strand mat composites damage,
respectively. It was verified that there was a
delaminated area in the conical shape, and it was
visible in all composites. It was possible see also
some broken fibers, as in the case of quasi-static
punch shear test, they presented in the outbound
direction of the punch. Already in the ballistic test,
the broken fibers presented randomly.

Fig. 9. The woven fabric composites load x

displacement quasi-static punch shear curves.
Fig. 10 shows the graphic load x displacement to the
chopped strand mat composites. Can be viewed for
this graphic that the loads the composites supported
increased with more number of layers. The line
slope changes also when increase the number of
layers, having a linear slope with this increase, either
until a formation of a knee (MP8 and MP14
composites) or until a maximum load peak (MP10,
MP15 and MP20 composites).

Fig. 11. Cross-section of the woven fabric

composites. a) TP5 and T5, b) TP10 and T10, c)
TP15 and T15, d) TP20 and T20 plate.
Fig. 12 was verified that in both tests, occurred a
delaminated area in conical shape, which is visible
on the MP10 and M10 composite plates. It was
possible also that there were some broken fibers in
these composites, in both tests.

2ND BRAZILIAN CONFERENCE ON COMPOSITE MATERIALS BCCM2

So Jos dos Campos-SP, September 15-18, 2014

[3] W. F. Amorim Jr. Study of a Ballistic Armour

Composite. Master Thesis. Mechanical Engineering
Department, Paraiba Federal University, Campina
Grande.
[4] B. A. Gama, J. W. Gillespie Jr. Punch shear based
penetration model of ballistic impact of thick-section
composites. Composite Structures 86, pp. 356-369,
2008.

Fig. 12. Cross-section of the chopped strand mat

composites. a) MP10 and M10, b) MP15 and M15,
c) MP20 and M20 plate.
4 Conclusion
The ballistic test methods and results were presented.
In this test, was possible to obtain the manufacturing
of 5 different composite plates with level of ballistic
protection as NIJ 0101.03 II-A (9 mm FMJ caliber).
Of all composites obtained with goal to ballistic
armour, those that presented best ballistic
performance were the composites had as material
woven fabric E-glass fiber. The most efficient
composite was the T10 composite, which presents
8,08 mm thickness, weighing 1,21 kg, areal density
12,73 kg/m and SEA 34,8 Jm/kg.
In the quasi-static punch shear tests, was verified the
internal damage on the composites, where can be
seen failure modes, such as: fiber and matrix rupture,
matrix cracking and delamination. It was possible
analyze the load x displacement graphics, where
showed trends and failure modes presented in the
literature. And it was possible to do a comparison of
the internal damage between quasi-static punch
shear and ballistic composites, where was seen, in
both cases, a delaminated area in conical shape.
References
[1] J. R. Xiao, B. R. Gama, J. W. Gillespie Jr.
Progressive damage and delamination in plain weave
S-2 glass/SC-15 composites under quasi-static punch
shear loading. Composite Structures xxx, xxx, pp 115, 2005.
[2] NIJ Standard 0101.03 1987. Available in:

<http://www.ballisticedge.com.au/NIJ0103.htm
>