Study on Ballistic Performance of a Sandwich Composite Plate With Biomimetic Tendon Filament Bundles ( <scp>SCP</scp> ‐ <scp>BTFB</scp> ) Considering Materials and Thickness

ABSTRACT In the field of protective equipment, traditional sandwich composite panels face challenges in balancing ballistic performance and lightweight properties, with core materials' insufficient energy absorption and structural stability limiting their use. Previous studies showed sandwich panels with biomimetic tendon filament bundles (SCP‐BTFB) have good energy absorption potential, but the effects of core material and thickness on ballistic performance remain unclear. This study tested SCP‐BTFB's ballistic performance using five fibers (carbon, PBO, basalt, UHMWPE, aramid) and two core thicknesses (10 mm, 15 mm) with 1951‐type lead bullets at ~445 m/s. Results show basalt core panels have the highest energy absorption ratio (15 mm: 49.39%), due to the most pushed‐out filament bundles and largest damage volume (4.2cm 3 ). For specific energy absorption (SEA), core thickening's energy gain is offset by weight, making 15 mm panels generally less efficient than 10 mm ones. However, their SEA (2.6–4.17 J/g) is much higher than previous studies. This work confirms basalt's advantages as BTFB core, aiding high‐performance protective composite optimization for lightweight bulletproof equipment and armor.