Investigation on Impact Strength Properties of Kevlar Fabric using Different Shear Thickening Fluid Composition

Great interest has aroused in developing high impact resistant fabrics based on the incorporation of a shear thickening fluid (STF) into high performance fabrics (Kevlar). This work developed a shear thickening fluid enhanced fabrics and the influence of the shear thickening fluid types against spike impact and the impact resistance performance were investigated. Silica nano-particle impregnated Kevlar fabrics exhibit significantly enhanced ballistic performance while retaining flexibility. It was found that fabrics impregnated with functionalized nanoparticles offer multiple resistance to the penetration of a sharp impactor. The improvement in protection is traced by the formation of siloxane bonds during functionalization. It exhibits significant improvement in shear stiffness and aslight increase in tensile stiffness. The impact strength properties of all samples were tested using impact testingand quasi-static testing apparatuses. Chemical compositions and microscopic structures were analyzed with Fouriertransform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The current study clearly displays a significant enhancement in penetration resistance of Kevlar fabric impregnated with different combination of STF’s.Defence Science Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, May 2014, pp. 236-243, DOI:http://dx.doi.org /10.14429/dsj.64.732