Ballistic Resistance Performance of Kevlar Fabric Impregnated with Shear Thickening Fluid

Manufacturing process of the shear thickening fluid(STF) and evaluation of the ballistic penetration resistance performance of the Kevlar-STF composites were studied. STF was made from silica and ethylene glycol, and the Kevlar-STF composite was made by impregnating the STF into the Kevlar fabric. Specimens including neat Kevlar woven fabrics and Kevlar-STF composites with two types of silica were prepared and carried out the ballistic tests. From the results STFs represented shear thickening behavior irrespective of the silica type, and Kevlar-STF composite with spherical silica showed best ballistic penetration resistance performance among them. Especially the specimens of Kevlar-STF composites with spherical silica showed radial fiber deformation by the projectile during the tests, that was somewhat different deformation behavior from those of the neat Kevlar fabrics shown fiber pull-out phenomena or fracture.