SMALL SCALE TEST METHOD TO DETERMINE THE CAPACITY OF THE BALLISTIC PROTECTION MATERIALS TO MITIGATE THE BLAST OVERPRESSURE

In order to design and implement ballistic protective equipment, several common stages in developing any product must be taken (technical studies, technological demonstrators, prototypes, etc.). The final stage should be the testing-assessing of development phase, followed by the homologation of the product obtained, which is a compulsory stage. In order to characterize the properties of shock waves passing through various materials and media (air, water, materials for ballistic protection), certain techniques and working procedures were established. The most common method is testing in the shooting range where the real conditions of a detonation can be faithfully reproduced. Such tests, however, despite being the most accurate and reliable way to check the shock waves mitigation properties of materials, in addition to being extremely dangerous activities, most often require expensive materials and full-scale structures. In the first stage of development, the new materials have to be selected through the small scale tests performed in laboratory. This paper presents one test procedure that could be used to determine the capacity of the ballistic protection materials to mitigate the effects of the shock wave in laboratory conditions and at low cost.