Analysis of the Effectiveness of Modern Ballistic Resistant Materials Using Finite Element Techniques

The research presented in this paper illustrates the effectiveness of modern ballistic resistant materials such as Kevlar, AR500 steel, aluminum nitride ceramics and their layered composite armor based on finite element analysis (FEA). ANSYS Explicit Dynamics analysis software was used to create a simplified model of a projectile striking a plate. Both, plate made of a single layer using only one material and plate made of multiple layers using combination of these materials are used. The effectiveness of each material was measured by the area of the deformed surface caused by a projectile while striking the plate. The greater the area of deformation, the greater is the effectiveness indicating the distribution of the impact energy of the projectile over a wider surface area which in turn results in less injury to an individual wearing such armor. A side by side comparison of the simulation results of these most commonly used ballistic resistant materials used by today's law enforcement personnel is made. The results of this research show that not all ballistic materials perform equally well. The Kevlar/ steel and the Kevlar/ ceramic combinations showed the best dispersion of energy with an impact area of over 10,000 mm ², while the ceramic plate by itself showed the smallest impact area of 3300 mm ². While soft Kevlar armor alone may be effective for stopping projectiles, Kevlar combined with steel or ceramic reinforced plates tend to absorb energy more effectively, and may result in less injury, or saving the life of an individual wearing armor.