Recent research projects

Light-weight armour studies  

In this work we used forward ballistic, reverse ballistic and computational analysis techniques to interrogate the effect of the gilding jacket from a 7.62 mm × 51 mm FFV armour-piercing bullet during the penetration of ceramic-faced targets. When the gilding jacket is removed, it is shown that greater damage occurs to the core suggesting that the presence of the jacket is pre-damaging the ceramic before core arrival. This work helps us to understand better ways of designing and building lighter-weight armour to protect our troops.


The dynamic behaviour of magnesium alloys

Magnesium alloys possess relatively low densities and certain wrought alloys possess good strength values. In this project we examined the shock and spall characteristics of a magnesium alloy (Elektron 675). The spall morphology was very-much affected by the direction of impact loading. Columns of small grains running along the extrusion direction dictated how the spall crack was formed. This project has helped our understanding of how processing a metal can affect dynamic failure.

 

 

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