Computational modeling of the penetration response of a high-purity ceramic

This paper describes computational modeling of the penetration response of a high-purity ceramic, namely the AD-99.5 alumina. This material is the most widely investigated ceramic, and extensive materials testing and ballistic data are available. The model development is based on constitutive relationships inferred from bar impact and plate impact data. The model is then incorporated into the EPIC Lagrangian finite element code. A novel element removal scheme for ceramics is presented, and the code is then used to investigate the penetration response of AD-99.5 alumina in the depth of penetration and semi-infinite configurations. The computations are found to be in excellent agreement with the experimental results. The interface defeat problem is also investigated numerically, and the results are used to suggest an explanation for interface defeat.