Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Countermine Boots

The goal of this project was to test the mechanical properties of countermine boots and overboots which are currently available for U.S. soldiers. The soles of both boots were made of almost the same materials and the same layout of the materials. The used materials were a rubber, an aluminum honeycomb, a stainless steel, and a kevlar composite. The kevlar composite had different properties for the countermine boot and overboot, respectively. The major structural strength and stiffness of the boots came from the aluminum honeycomb with stainless steel faceplates. Ml the materials used in the boots soles were tested using an uniaxial testing machine called Instron to determine their mechanical material properties like elastic moduli and ultimate strengths. Further, the Scanning Electron Microscopy SEM was used for the stainless steel material to determine their chemical compositions. Ml the tests were conducted for multiple specimens to ensure their properties. The material data were tabulated and the stress-strain curves were attached in this report. Further, a preliminary finite element analysis was conducted to evaluate the countermine boot against an anti-personnel mine such as the M-l4 mine.