The hypervelocity impact resistance behaviors of NbC/Al2024 ceramic-metal composites

In this paper, the experiments of projectiles with hypervelocity impact on Whipple shields with Al2024 and NbC/Al2024 ceramic-metal composites as bumper respectively were carried out by using two-stage light-gas gun, and the movement process of debris cloud was recorded through laser shadow photography camera. The hypervelocity impacts of NbC/Al2024 Whipple shield were simulated, and there was good qualitative agreement between the simulations and experiments. The rear wall damage of Whipple shield and motion characteristics of debris clouds induced by projectile impacting on Al2024 bumper and NbC/Al2024 bumper were analyzed by experiment and numerical simulation results. The damage processes and material damage state of NbC/Al2024 bumper induced by projectile impact were analyzed. The results show that the NbC/Al2024 bumper can reduce the velocity of debris cloud and increase the impact area of debris cloud on the rear wall, resulting in the reduction of energy density on the rear wall caused by debris cloud impact. Because the NbC/Al bumper can increase the shock wave pressure within projectile, the projectile can be shattered into smaller fragments, and more projectile materials will melt and vaporized. As a result, the NbC/Al2024 ceramic-metal composites can reduce the damage of the debris cloud to the rear wall and enhance the protective capability of the Whipple shield.