ASTRID - Accompagnement spécifique des travaux de recherches et d’innovation défense

transparent composite for ballistic impact protection – TRIBAL

Submission summary

The TRIBAL project, for "Transparent Composite for Ballistic Impact Protection", aims to lay the basis of a concept for transparent composites - which until now did not exist - intended to be integrated into ballistic protection systems (helmets, shields, portholes, windows, counters, showcases...). It thus meets two scientific challenges, making a low TRL (<3) project: 1) to develop a composite material composed of fibres and resin optically transparent, 2) this transparent composite will have to demonstrate good resistance to ballistic impacts. In order to meet this challenge, a consortium composed of GEMTEX at ENSAIT and IRDL at ENSTA Bretagne is showing strong complementarities and providing wanted competences: GEMTEX will carry out research on the study of eligible transparent fibres and resins and will then focus on processes for the production of reimpregnated yarns and plies or by RTM, either on the basis of thermoplastic matrices and reinforcements, thermoplastic matrices and inorganic reinforcements, thermosetting matrices and thermoplastic reinforcements, or thermosetting matrices and inorganic reinforcements, resistant from a mechanical and ballistic point of view. IRDL will manufacture plates for cutting samples for various types of tests: quasi-static tensile and Hopkinson pressure bars to determine a constitutive law, including load-discharge tests, and ball/plate impacts to lay the basis of a damage model - and finally ballistic shots up to plate impacts to determine the out-of-plane equation of state necessary to model the behaviour during hypervelocity impacts. The objectives of the test campaigns will also aim to evaluate ballistic protection performance for threats defined by the standards in force (STANAG 4569 levels 1 and 2 and EN 166-A to respond to both civilian and military ballistic threats, which establishes the dual interest of the project with regard to civilian and military applications. For each selected solution, the partners will ensure the optically transparent nature of the selected fibre-matrix couples.
The project therefore includes a high experimental content. However, the use of numerical tools is envisaged for the predimensioning of the dynamic test campaigns as well as for the understanding of the results.
In the long term, the partners are aiming at a ballistic protection solution that would reduce the mass per unit area of current protections (polycarbonate/glass lamination, armoured glass, transparent ceramics) by 20% at much lower costs.
To achieve this, the consortium is proposing potential subcontractors and is requesting a budget of around EUR 300 000 over a three-year period.

Project coordination

Fabien Salaün (Génie des Matériaux Textiles)

The author of this summary is the project coordinator, who is responsible for the content of this summary. The ANR declines any responsibility as for its contents.

Partner

GEMTEX Génie des Matériaux Textiles
IRDL Institut de Recherche Dupuy de Lôme

Help of the ANR 299,160 euros
Beginning and duration of the scientific project: - 36 Months

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