Experimental and numerical analysis of the impact behaviour of polycarbonate and polyurethane multilayer

Abstract
The aim of this work is to validate a numerical model for monolithic polycarbonate or polymeric multilayer material in order to adapt them to different impact conditions (type of threat, striking velocity and test temperature). Thus, this paper deals with the experimental and numerical investigations of PC plates impacted at velocities up to 400 m/s for a temperature range between -20°C and 50°C. in this context, impact tests on 6 and 9.7 mm thick polycarbonate plates have been performed. A high speed camera records the target profile during the interaction and the displacement history of the projectile. Photographs of impact on polycarbonate plates show that rupture occurs either by petalling or plugging depending on the projectile striking velocity and on the target thickness. Numerical simulations after fitting procedures agree well with the experimental results and show the temperature and polycarbonate thickness influence on the capacity to absorb the impact energy by plastic deformation.