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Fabrication of Compound Nonwoven Materials for Soft Body Armor *
Author(s) -
Lin ChiaChang,
Lin JiaHorng,
Chang ChunCheng
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01832.x
Subject(s) - armour , materials science , composite material , ballistic impact , nonwoven fabric , punching , polyester , fabrication , structural engineering , composite number , engineering , fiber , layer (electronics) , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
The primary objective of body armor research is the development of low‐cost, lightweight, wearable garments that effectively resist ballistic impact. This study introduces a material intended to reduce nonpenetration trauma by absorbing energy from ballistic impacts. Layers of web were made by low‐melting point polyester (LMPET) on unaligned fibers of high‐strength polyamide 6 (HSPA6). A compound nonwoven fabric was made by laying high‐strength Vectran filaments between two layers of HSPA6‐LMPET web. The new fabric underwent needle punching and thermal bonding to form a composite sandwich structure. The new fabric was subjected to a falling weight impact test and a ballistic impact test. The results indicated that the material with the new design reduced maximum indentation depth by 8%. Furthermore, soft body armor made from the material with the new design would cost less to produce and would weigh 22.5% less than conventional soft body armor.