Professional Documents
Culture Documents
discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228488787
CITATIONS READS
19 812
8 authors, including:
Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects:
All content following this page was uploaded by Norman Joseph Wagner on 01 October 2014.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. All in-text references underlined in blue are added to the original document
and are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately.
Advanced Body Armor Utilizing
Shear Thickening Fluids
(AO01)
Background
Body armor
Shear thickening fluids (STFs)
STF / Kevlar composite
Experiments
Ballistic results
Flexibility tests
Continuing work
Body Armor
Conventional body armor
20-40 layers of neat Kevlar
Rigid ceramic inserts for high threat situations
Torso protection only
Extremities protection
Extremities: arms, legs, neck PASGT Vest
Battlefield statistics from WWII, Korea (Reister, 1973) Kevlar 29
STF
Kevlar
fabric
target
Ballistic tests clay witness
0.22 cal FSP
Velocity ~ 825 fps
Target set in frame,
not clamped
Clay witness
Quantify ballistic performance in terms of depth of penetration
Use clay ballistic curves to relate penetration depth to energy
absorbed by target
STF Rheological Properties
Shear thickening transition at shear rate of ~ 101-103 s-1
Rheology of ethylene glycol based STF
6
10
5
=0.62
10
=0.57
4
10
(Pa s)(Pa s)
3
10
viscosity
2
10
1
10
0
10
-1
10
-5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10
.
shear rate
(1/s) (s-1)
A D
15
Penetration depth (mm)
B E
10
C F
5 Legend:
single Kevlar layer
STF fluid
90
Energy Dissipation (%)
85
70
65
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Target mass (g)
Absorbed Energy
Energy Dissipation (%) = 100
Initial Impact Energy
Comparison of STF Kevlar with Neat
Kevlar
For targets of equal weight, STF-impregnated Kevlar
demonstrates similar ballistic performance to neat Kevlar
100
STF-impregnated targets have
4 layers of Kevlar
95 significantly fewer layers of
Kevlar than the comparable
90
neat Kevlar targets
Energy Dissipation (%)
14 layers of Kevlar
85
10 layers of Kevlar STF impregnated 4-Kevlar
80 EG impregnated 4-Kevlar
4 layers of Kevlar Neat Kevlar
75
70
65
60
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Weight of Sample (g)
Flexibility / Bulk of STF-Impregnated
Kevlar
STF-impregnated Kevlar targets are thinner and more flexible than
neat Kevlar targets with comparable ballistic performance
=13o
=50o =51o
20 g weight
95
90
Energy Dissipation (%)
30 3
10
25 = 0.51
Dissipated Energy (J)
20 2
10
15
(Pa s)
10
1
10
5
Isotropic (Spherical) STF with 4 Kevlar
0 Anisotrpic STF with 4 Kevlar
0
10 -2 -1 0 1
0 10 10 10 10 10
.
Weight of Target (g) (1/s)
Mechanism of Ballistic Energy
Absorption in STF Composite
Mechanisms of energy absorption in conventional fabric armors
Yarn pullout
Fiber plastic deformation
Fiber fracture
Compare impacted targets
(4 layers of Kevlar with and without STF)
Less pullout in STF composite first layer of Kevlar (back three
More fiber fracture in STF composite layers show comparable pullout)
unimpregnated Kevlar
STF appears to be grabbing yarns, preventing
inter-yarn mobility at high strain rates
90
STF
2 PEG
70
Normalized Pullout Energy
1.8
60
1.6 Energy Dissipation (%) - 7K
Energy Dissipation (%) - 11K
1.4 50 Energy Dissipation (%) - STF
1.2
40
1 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
Target mass (g)
0.8
0 5 10 15 20 25
% Liquid Impregnation
View publication stats
Continuing Work
Material and Target Design
Materials
STF material
Particle anisotropy
Particle size
Possibility for enhanced energy absorption mechanisms at
very small particle sizes
Particle material -> polymeric, rubber particles
Lower density particles for reduced target weight
Softer particles for modification of energy absorption
mechanisms
Particle surface energy
Fabric Architecture
Denier Patterning / STF-to-fabric ratio
Weave Layer sequencing
Fiber type
Test configuration
Larger target sizes
Higher velocities