Stab resistance of shear thickening fluid (STF)-treated fabrics

The stab resistance of shear thickening fluid (STF)-Kevlar and STF-Nylon fabric composites are investigated and found to exhibit significant improvements over neat fabric targets of equivalent areal density. Specifically, dramatic improvements in puncture resistance (spike threat) are observed under high and low speed loading conditions, while slight increases in cut protection are also observed. These results, combined with improvements in ballistic properties reported in earlier studies (Lee et al., 2002, Lee et al. 2003), indicate that these novel materials could be used to fabricate flexible body armors which provide improved protection against both stab and ballistic threats