Ballistic response mechanism and resistance-driven evaluation method of UHMWPE composite

The use of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite in the design of lightweight protective equipment, has gained a lot of interest. However, there is an urgent need to understand the ballistic response mechanism and theoretical prediction model of performance. This paper explores the ballistic response mechanism of UHMWPE composite through experimental and simulation analyses. Then, a resistance-driven modeling method was proposed to establish a theoretical model for predicting the bulletproof performance. The ballistic response mechanism of UHMWPE composite encompassed three fundamental modes: local response, structural response, and coupled response. The occurrence ratio of these fundamental response modes during impact was dependent on the projectile velocity and laminate thickness. The bulletproof performance of laminate under different response modes was assessed based on the penetration depth of the projectile, the bulging height on the rear face of the laminate, the thickness of remaining sub-laminate, and residual velocity of the projectile. The absolute deviations of bulletproof performance indicator between theoretical value and experimental value were well within 11.13%, demonstrating that the established evaluation model possessed high degree of prediction accuracy.