Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, cilt.32, sa.17, ss.7640-7650, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
This study presents a new methodology for predicting the ballistic performance of armor steels based on their mechanical properties. Plates were developed as candidate armor steels, and the mechanical properties (hardness, strength, impact toughness, and total elongation) were determined for each. A pass/fail criterion was established, and the values of the mechanical features were normalized by rescaling and range normalization. Ballistic tests were performed by 7.62 × 51 mm (NATO Ball) and 5.56 × 45 mm (SS109) projectiles to validate the proposed methodology against the EN1522 standard (FB-6 Level) protection. The results showed a good agreement between the proposed methodology and ballistic results, with 5.56 × 45 mm (SS109) being more effective than 7.62 × 51 mm (NATO Ball) for penetrating the target when the plate had low hardness and tensile strength despite having high impact toughness. This was attributed to the ammunition's partial steel core and behavior as a “semi-armor piercing” round.