A new concept of shock mitigation by impedance-graded materials

Over the last several decades, homogenous single-layer armor has been replaced by multi-layer integral armor to improve ballistic penetration resistance. This has led to better attenuation of shock wave energy by multiple interface reflections and transmissions. Efforts have been reported to improve the penetration resistance by providing higher energy dissipation at higher levels of impedance mismatch. However, high stress concentrations and stress reversals have made these interfaces the primary sources of failure. This paper discusses a concept for a new class of blast and penetration resistant (BPRM) materials which are layer-less but designed to have a continuous gradient of impedance that can dissipate the shock energy without material failure. In a simplistic approach by applying the classical theory of uniaxial stress propagation, it has been shown that attenuation of the stress wave energy would be possible by controlling the impedance distribution within the body of such a material. The development of such material to resist blast or impact will overcome the current common difficulty of interfacial delamination failure in any protective barrier system or armors. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.