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The impact response of a composite structure consisting of a metal-packaged ceramic interlayer and an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) laminate has been studied through a ballistic test and numerical simulation. The studied structure exhibits 50% higher anti-penetration performance than the traditional ceramic/metal structure with the same areal density. The metal-packaged ceramic interlayer and the UHMWPE laminate are key components in resisting the penetration. By using a metal frame to impose three-dimensional constraints on ceramic tiles, the metal-packaged ceramic interlayer can limit the crushing of the ceramic and contain the broken ceramic fragment to improve the erosion of the projectile. The large deformation of UHMWPE laminate absorbs a large amount of energy from the projectile. By decreasing the amplitude of the shock wave and changing the distribution of the impact load in the structure, the projectile has longer residence time on the interlayer. The anti-penetration performance shows within 10% variation when the impact position is varied. Due to the asymmetric deformation and high elastic recovery ability of the UHMWPE laminate, the projectile trajectory deflection is increased, and the broken ceramic fragments are restrained, thereby mitigating after-effect damage caused by the projectile after penetrating the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four ceramic-metal hybrid structures were fabricated and researched. • Influences of ceramic size, boundary constraints and connection mode of the substructures were researched. • Effects of constraints on the influences of penetration position on the performance were studied. • Hybrid structure exhibit much better performance than TC4 plate of equal areal density. Ceramic-metal hybrid structures have drawn extensive attentions as a protective structure for their excellent protection performances to defend penetration. In the present investigation, four hybrid structures were experimentally and numerically studied to determine the influences of the constraints on ceramic on their anti-penetration performances. It was found that the penetration resistances of the hybrid structures were significantly affected by the size of ceramic, boundary constraint and connection mode of the substructures. Both suitable boundary condition and appropriate connection mode of the substructures could provide relatively strong constraints to the ceramic prisms to improve the performance, yet the connection mode of substructures affected the performance more significantly. However, the penetration resistance of the structure with ceramic tile was slightly affected by the boundary condition and connection mode of the substructures. In addition, all of four hybrid structures exhibited much better anti-penetration performances than that of monolithic TC4 plate with the equal areal density. The better performances of the hybrid structures with monolithic frame suggest that suitable frames can provide strong constraints on ceramic prisms, and thus can be potentially used to defend penetrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]