Ballistic performance and damage behavior of three-dimensional angle-interlock woven composites under high velocity impact: Experimental and numerical studies

Three-dimensional angle-interlock woven composites (3DAWCs) are usually employed as exposed components in aerospace and other high-tech areas due to their superior impact resistance. In this work, the experimental characterization and numerical modeling are combined together to study the ballistic performance and damage behavior of 3DAWCs under high velocity impact (HVI). The initial-residual velocity relation is examined by ballistic impact test and the penetration process is recorded by high-speed camera. A nonlinear finite element (FE) model based on a multi-scale modeling framework is established to simulate the ballistic impact response and damage behavior of 3DAWCs. The proposed FE model is verified by comparing the predicted initial-residual velocity curve and penetration propagation with the experimental data. Parameter analysis is conducted to address the influences of projectile diameter and impact angle on the impact performance of 3DAWCs and the corresponding damage mechanisms are revealed in detail. The present work provides a transferable approach for studying the HVI problems of other textile composite structures.