Polyimide aerogels for ballistic impact protection.

ABSTRACT: The ballistic performance of edge-clamped monolithic polyimide aerogel blocks (12 mm thickness) has been studied through a series of impact tests using a helium-filled gas gun connected to a vacuum chamber and a spherical steel projectile (approximately 3 mm diameter) with an impact velocity range of 150-1300 m s^-1. The aerogels had an average bulk density of 0.17 g cm^-3 with high porosity of approximately 88%. The ballistic limit velocity of the aerogels was estimated to be in the range of 175-179 m s^-1. Moreover, the aerogels showed a robust ballistic energy absorption performance (e.g., at the impact velocity of 1283 m s^-1 at least 18% of the impact energy was absorbed). At low impact velocities, the aerogels failed by ductile hole enlargement

SUBMITTER: Malakooti S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9385616 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature