Influence of the impact angle of rigid ogival-nosed projectiles on the penetration characteristics of woven composite laminates

The 2 mm thick woven composite laminates were impacted by the ogival-nosed projectiles launched by a one-stage gas gun, and the impact angle was 0°, 30° and 45°. The process of projectiles impacting targets were recorded with photos of a high-speed camera and the velocities of the projectiles were obtained. The influence of the impact angles on the ballistic limits, the energy absorption efficiency of the targets and failure mechanisms was analyzed by using the fitted formula to deal with the experimental data. The results show that the ballistic limit impacted by 45° is the highest, followed by 0° and 30° impact. The damage area shape of laminates gradually changes from rhombus to ellipsoid with the increase of the impact angle and the damage area increases with the increase of the impact velocity. Damage area of laminate is the largest at 45°, and the damage area is approximately equal at 0° and 30°. The impact angle of projectile has great influence on the failure mode of plate, the fiber fracture is main cross section caused by shear stress when 0° impact and that is oblique section by shear stress and tensile stress for 30° impact. For 45° impact, the fiber fracture is cross section caused by tensile stress.