Penetration resistance of ceramic composite structures with a double arrowhead honeycombs interlayer against projectile impact

A double arrowhead honeycomb (DAH) is a mechanical metamaterial with a high plateau strength. In this study, we optimized the DAH for incorporation into ceramic composite structures to improve the penetration resistance performance. For the same areal density, the penetration resistance performance of this ceramic composite structure with DAHs was 30 % higher than that of the structure without DAHs. Under high-velocity impact, the DAHs in the ceramic structure exhibited a row-by-row localized deformation, with several significant drops in the plateau strength and failure of each row corresponding to a drop. During the row-by-row deformation process, the loading was transferred downward row-by-row; consequently, the back plate remained undeformed until the DAHs were fully compacted, thus maintaining the integrity of the overall structure. Notably, the DAHs significantly prolonged the duration time of the projectile dwelling on the surface of the ceramic during the interface defeat process, thereby expanding the range of the loading distribution within the ceramic tiles and enhancing energy absorption. In addition, the downward-moving ceramic tiles exhibited further enhanced energy absorption by dispersing the kinetic energy of the projectile to the moving ceramic fragments. The penetration resistance mechanisms indicate that ceramic composite structures with DAHs are effective for optimizing lightweight, protective structures.