Experimental and numerical analysis of penetration into Kevlar fabric impregnated with shear thickening fluid

Abstract

This study presents the high-velocity impact performance of a composite material composed of woven Kevlar fabric impregnated with a colloidal shear thickening fluids (STFs). Although the precise role of the STF in the high-velocity defeat, process is not exactly known but it is suspected to be due to the increased frictional interaction between yarns in impregnated fabrics. In order to explore the mechanism of this enhanced energy absorption, high-velocity impact test was conducted on neat, impregnated fabric and also on pure STF without fabric. A finite element model has been carried out to consider the effect of STF impregnation on the ballistic performance. For this purpose, fabric was modeled using LS-DYNA by employing the experimental results of yarn pull-out tests to characterize the frictional behavior of the STF impregnated fabric. The simulation result is a proof that the increased performance for STF impregnated Kevlar fabric is due to the increased friction.

High velocity impact behavior of Kevlar/rubber and Kevlar/epoxy composites: A comparative study

“…The mechanisms that dominate a particular ballistic event depend on a number of factors, including yarn's material properties [9,10], friction between yarns [11,12], the projectile shape [13,14], and fabric boundary condition [15][16][17].…”

A review of fibrous materials for soft body armour applications

“…With this understanding in mind, many researchers worked towards improving the friction by using resins, polymeric coatings and additives such as nanostructures for more energy absorption. 31 As a matter of fact, the use of STF itself, as believed by many researchers 32,33 helps in improved performance majorly through friction enhancement. Nanorods of metal oxides are also used to intensify friction between yarns.…”

“…26 It is well grounded that increased inter-yarn friction improves the pull-out force, and hence the energy absorption. [27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] Bazhenov 28 concluded that the dissipation of energy increases with the increase in pull-out zone dimensions. The latter, in turn, depends upon the increased involvement of more and more secondary yarns which is a direct positive consequence of yarn to yarn friction.…”

“…Unfortunately, thorough understanding of the exact role of STF to enhance the impact resistance of highperformance fabrics is still quite obscure. Some researchers argue that increased friction is responsible for enhanced impact performance, 32,33,90,147 while others believe that the inherent shear thickening phenomenon also plays a vital role in energy absorption. 16,82,83,137,[148][149][150] In their attempt to understand the STF-fabric interaction mechanism, Majumdar et al 68 studied the stage-wise deformation pattern on neat and STF treated fabrics.…”

Numerical and experimental study of impact on hyperelastic rubber panels

“…High velocity impact-resistant materials attract the attention for the past few decades [12][13][14]. Impact performance is one of the major concerns in many polymer applications.…”