Virtual Testing of Composite Structures Made of High Entropy Alloys and Steel

High entropy alloys (HEA) are metallic materials obtained from a mixture of at least five atomic-scale chemical elements. They are characterized by high mechanical strength, good thermal stability and hardenability. AlCrFeCoNi alloys have high compression strength and tensile strength values of 2004 MPa, respectively 1250 MPa and elongation of about 32.7%. These materials can be used to create HEA-steel type composite structures which resist to dynamic deformation during high speed impacts. The paper presents four different composite structures made from a combination of HEA and carbon steel plates, using different joining processes. The numerical simulation of the impact behavior of the composite structures was performed by virtual methods, taking into account the mechanical properties of both materials. For analyzing each constructive variant, three virtual shootings were designed, using a 7.62 × 39 mm cal. incendiary armor-piercing bullet and different impact velocities. The best ballistic behavior was provided by the composite structures obtained by welding and brazing that have good continuity and rigidity. The other composite structures, which do not have good surface adhesion, show high fragmentation risk, because the rear plate can fragment on the axis of shooting due to the combination between the shock waves and the reflected ones. The order of materials in the composite structure has a very important role in decreasing the impact energy