Investigating the effects of alumina nanoparticles on the impact resistance of polycarbonate nano-composites

Abstract

In this project, two types of treated and untreated alumina nanoparticles with different weight percentages (wt%) of 0.5, 1 and 3% were mixed with polycarbonate matrix; then, the impact ballistic properties of the nano-composite targets made from them were investigated. Three types of projectile noses -cylindrical, hemispherical, and conical, each with the same mass of 5.88\;gr -- were used in the ballistic tests. The results highlighted that ballistic limit velocities were improved by increasing the percentage of alumina nanoparticles and the treatment process; changing the projectile's nose geometry from conical to blunt nose increases the ballistic limit velocity, and ultimately, by increasing the initial velocity of conical and hemispherical nosed projectiles, the failure mechanism of the targets changed from dishing to petalling; whereas for the cylindrical projectile, the failure mode was always plugging.

Keywords

• nanoparticles
• alumina
• ballistic test
• nano-composite
• polycarbonates
• surface treatments