Research Article

Ballistic Performance Assessment of Advanced Composite Body Armors: An Experimental and Numerical Investigation

Numan Khan 1 2 *
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1 Department of Engineering, University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli”, Aversa 81031, Italy2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar 25000, Pakistan* Corresponding Author
Applied Functional Materials, 5(4), December 2025, 1-18, https://doi.org/10.35745/afm2025v05.04.0001
Submitted: 16 May 2025, Published: 28 December 2025
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ABSTRACT

Hybrid composites are widely utilized in body armor for security personnel, providing essential protection against ballistic threats. This study investigates the ballistic perfor-mance of a body armor system comprising silicon carbide ceramic backed by Kevlar fi-ber-reinforced polymer (Kevlar-epoxy), using both experimental testing and numerical simulation approaches. Finite element analysis was conducted to predict the failure mechanisms during bullet penetration by a 7.62 × 51 mm hard steel core projectile and to optimize the relative thicknesses of the armor components. Among various configura-tions, the optimized design, consisting of 10 mm silicon carbide and 5 mm Kevlar compo-site, successfully stopped bullets corresponding to NIJ threat level III. Samples of the opti-mized configuration were fabricated and tested according to NIJ standards, with six shots fired at each sample to evaluate the ballistic performance. The numerical model accurately predicted the failure modes induced by bullet impact. Results revealed that crack initia-tion, propagation, fracture conoid formation, and radial tensile cracks were the primary failure mechanisms in the ceramic layer, while progressive delamination and fabric breakage occurred in the polymeric composite. Increasing the thickness of the armor sys-tem was found to reduce the bullet’s velocity and kinetic energy, and an inverse relation-ship between composite thickness and the extent of delamination was observed. The measured backface signature was 22 mm, well within NIJ limits, and approximately 10% weight reduction per armor plate was achieved compared to existing systems of similar dimensions
Keywords: Ballistic Impact, Body Armor, Numerical analysis, Composite Materials, Silicon Carbide

CITATION (APA)

Khan, N. (2025). Ballistic Performance Assessment of Advanced Composite Body Armors: An Experimental and Numerical Investigation. Applied Functional Materials, 5(4), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.35745/afm2025v05.04.0001

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