RESISTANCE OF CERAMICS TO PENETRATION AT IMPACT VELOCITIES ABOVE 5-KM/S

The resistance of ceramics to penetration at velocities exceeding crack propagation velocities has been studied. The strength resistance of ceramics is found to be as high as several tens GPa. At high penetration velocities, which exclude the weakening of a brittle target due to crack growth, the plastic flow of ceramics is to be occurred. Then, the ceramics strength resistance is to be identified as the dynamic hardness. The nature of realization of strength properties is the same both for metals and ceramics. As to resistance to penetration, ceramics differ from metals, as dynamic hardness of ceramics is about one order of magnitude higher as compared to metals. As a result, the inertial resistance of the ceramic targets to penetration becomes supplemented by the strength resistance of ceramics. It follows that high-velocity penetration of ceramic targets differ from the hydrodynamic model.