Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa
Maweja, K., Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa; Stumpf, W., Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa
In a series of experimentally tempered martensitic steel alloys it was observed that for a given chemical composition, the heat treatment parameters for advanced ballistic performance are different from those required for higher mechanical properties, rendering the often specified relationship between mechanical properties and ballistic performance questionable. Systematic analysis of the microstructures and the fracture surfaces of 13 laboratory melted tempered martensitic armour plate steels was carried out to understand the improved ballistic performance of these steels of which the mechanical properties were actually lower than currently specified for military and security applications. It was, furthermore, observed that the detrimental effect of inclusions on ballistic performance depends on the tempering temperature and on the strain rate. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Armor; Ballistics; Chemical analysis; Fracture; Heat treatment; Inclusions; Martensite; Metallographic microstructure; Plate metal; Strain rate; Chemical composition; Detrimental effect; Carbon steel; Armor; Ballistics; Carbon steel; Chemical analysis; Fracture; Heat treatment; Inclusions; Martensite; Metallographic microstructure; Plate metal; Strain rate
