Energy absorption of densified veneer-aramid hybrid composites subjected to ballistic impact

Densified wood technology improves the wood properties such as strength, surface hardness, dimensional stability, and durability. However, the utilization of laminated veneer as densified wood which is used as an armor material, and its ability to absorb ballistic energy has not been researched. The strengthening of the Teak Platinum veneer, which was densified with a hot press, used pre-treatment methods such as partial delignification and self-assembly of bacteria cellulose using Acetobacter xylinum. This research used hybrid and non-hybrid panels. The hybrid panel used epoxy adhesive to combine the laminated aramid fabric and 2 types of densified veneer laminated. Two types of densified veneers consist of the densified veneer with and without stabilizing resin. A ballistic test was carried out on each sample at a distance of 5 m using 9 mm Luger ammunition according to NIJ 0108.01. The ballistic energy absorption was analyzed based on the difference between the initial velocity and the residual velocity of the projectile. The initial velocity and the residual velocity were measured by the chronograph. This result showed that the performance of the hybrid panels was lower than the non-hybrid panels at the same thickness. However, the hybrid panels using aramid and veneer ratio of 2:1 (by volume) and the configuring of fully aramid fabric on the inside was the best combination with a ballistic energy absorption of 78.64% at 354.70 J.