## 4 Conclusions  
As a part of the work, hybrid silicone-ceramic composites were obtained. These composites in combination with a soft ballistic armor with an area weight (5.0 \(\pm\) 0.5) kg/m\({}^{2}\) provide V50 ballistic protection limit in the range of 1200-1500 m/s. The developed HSC composite may be an alternative to the currently used ballistic composites produced in the thermal-pressure pressing process based on aramid or UHMWPE materials, as well as steel or titanium alloy ballistic armor. The research showed that the ballistic resistance of the HSC composite is the result of the destruction of ceramic elements by the fragment and the pulling, rupture, declining, and extension of yarns and fibers occurring in the soft ballistic insert. It was determined that the V50 value increases as the thickness of  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**No.**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Composition of Samples**} & **Surface Mass** & **Maximum Force Transmitted** \\  & & **(kg/m\({}^{2}\))** & **under the Sample (kN)** \\ \hline \hline \multicolumn{4}{c}{Silicone samples:} \\
**1.** & MM 922 silicon & 11.7 \(\pm\) 0.4 & 5.27 \(\pm\) 0.22 \\
**2.** & MM 228 silicon & 12.0 \(\pm\) 0.5 & 4.00 \(\pm\) 0.12 \\
**3.** & Za 22 Moudil silicon & 11.8 \(\pm\) 0.5 & 4.33 \(\pm\) 0.28 \\ \hline \multicolumn{4}{c}{Hybrid silicone-ceramic composite containing Al\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{3}\) ceramics (3.0 mm thick) and silicone:} \\
**4.** & MM 922 & 18.1 \(\pm\) 0.5 & 5.58 \(\pm\) 0.10 \\
**5.** & MM 228 & 18.4 \(\pm\) 0.6 & 4.54 \(\pm\) 0.16 \\
**6.** & Za 22 Moudl & 17.7 \(\pm\) 0.6 & 4.72 \(\pm\) 0.19 \\ \hline \hline \multicolumn{4}{c}{Samples of commercial systems containing polymer:} \\
**7.** & EVA & 3.2 \(\pm\) 0.3 & 1.77 \(\pm\) 0.17 \\
**8.** & Poron®KDDMA & 3.3 \(\pm\) 0.3 & \(<\)4.0 \\
**9.** & EVA+EPDM & 0.9 \(\pm\) 0.2 & 2.40 \(\pm\) 0.15 \\
**10.** & PE & 1.0 \(\pm\) 0.4 & 1.64 \(\pm\) 0.13 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 6: Impact test results for the impact energy of 5 J.  
the ceramic element increases. An increase in the thickness of the Al\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{3}\) ceramic element by about (0.5 \(\pm\) 0.2) mm resulted in an increase in the V50 value in the range of 14-18%. The decisive factors here were the physical and mechanical parameters of ceramic elements, i.e., hardness and Young's modulus. The outer silicone layer makes a slight contribution to the fragments' stopping mechanism, as demonstrated in the research. It acts as a matrix in which ceramic elements are placed and allows the composite system to adjust to the user's body, which increases the ergonomic properties of the armor. The conducted research allowed to determine that there are no correlations between the type of silicone elastomer used and its physico-mechanical properties, and the obtained value of the V50 ballistic protection limit.  
Comparison of the results for the impact energy equal to 5 J generated during the drop tower tests, obtained for samples of HSC composites with commercially available materials used in market products intended for the production of protectors reducing the risk of human body damage, indicated that the hybrid silicone-ceramic composites had lower ability to shock absorption with a significantly higher surface weight. Therefore, they should be excluded from use on an industrial scale in the construction of these type of protectors.  
Designing of energy absorbing materials is challenging since various mechanisms, such as: wave propagation, dynamic cracks, delamination, thermal effects, dislocation generation, elastic and shear deformations, yarn and fiber pull-out and rupture, etc. are acting concurrently, at different material scales, and intertwined during impact. Therefore, new research is needed, especially in producing materials with strictly defined characteristics, modeling, and simulation of impact to be able to reach a point where the designed composites will meet all user's requirements related to low weight, ergonomics, and ballistic resistance.