A comparative review of impact-induced failure mechanisms in monolithic and hybrid structures

In the face of high-strain-rate threats such as explosions, collisions, and high-velocity debris impacts, understanding the failure behavior of materials and structures under impact loading is critical for improving structural protection and service reliability. This review systematically classifies the typical failure mechanisms of materials under impact conditions into three categories based on dominant factors: wave-driven failure, inertia/localization-driven failure, and brittle fracture-dominated failure. Corresponding modes include spallation, interfacial delamination, adiabatic shear banding, dynamic voiding and ductile fracture, dynamic cleavage, intergranular fracture, and fragmentation. On this basis, the paper compares the failure behaviors of monolithic components and hybrid material systems. The former are primarily governed by intrinsic material properties, showing strong strain-rate sensitivity and relatively clear, single-mode failure paths. In contrast, composite or hybrid structures exhibit significantly more complex responses due to material heterogeneity and strong interfacial effects, often involving multiple damage mechanisms interacting simultaneously. This work provides theoretical insight for material selection and structural configuration in impact-resistant systems, laying a foundation for future studies on failure modeling and structural design.