Design and net-shape manufacturing of hybrid composites for ballistic protection

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The systematic introduction of personal armors in theatres of war has decreased soldier mortality. However, due to their weight and rigidity, typical protection systems only cover the torso. As a result, while the occurrence of chest injuries has been significantly reduced, the rates of injuries to the limbs, head and neck are still high. This project is part of a research effort towards lighter and more effective individual armor systems. A novel hybrid composite material consisting of alumina and boron carbide inclusions in a CrS-Cr cermet (ceramic-metal) matrix will be developed. This lightweight material will be designed using numerical models and multiscale optimization to resist ballistic and blast wave threats. In particular, mechanisms such as projectile tip defeat, energy dissipation and stress wave mitigation will be sought at the design stage. The hybrid composite will be fabricated using a Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis (SHS) process. Sulfur powder, mixed with chromium powder, is first melted and cast in a graphite mold. After solidification, a gasless combustion wave is initiated to convert the precursor mixture into an extremely hard and light cermet. High-purity ceramic inclusions will be incorporated in the cermet matrix to further enhance the ballistic properties. SHS is extremely versatile and offers multiple advantages over existing techniques: it is highly flexible in terms of the article shape, composition and bonding to other materials, it requires a minimum of raw materials and energy input, and it produces a minimum amount of waste. The materials produced will be tested in quasi-static, ballistic and blast-loading conditions in order to validate the numerical models and to assess the performance of the optimized product. This novel armor system has the potential to greatly benefit Canadian