Experimental study on ballistic characteristics of fiber reinforced aerogel composite structures

Fiber reinforced silica aerogels (GRSA) were combined with aluminum plates, steel plates and PMMA plates to form a range of composite structures, and the impact responses of the structures to a 7.62 mm ballistic gun were investigated. The result shows that GRSA can significantly improve the impact resistant capacity of composite structures, especially for brittle materials. The failure models of GRSA are the crushing and splash of aerogel matrix, the fracture of fiber and its extraction from the areogel matrix. The protection capability of composite armors against the flat-nosed projectiles is better than that of them against the ogival-nosed projectiles at low and high velocities. In addition, GRSA shows a stain rate effect, and these novel armors offer excellent energy absorbing characteristics under the high velocity impact loading condition.