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Article

Damage Resistance of Kevlar® Fabric, UHMWPE, PVB Multilayers Subjected to Concentrated Drop-Weight Impact

1
Chemistry Department, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, 1925 N 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
2
Physics Department, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, 1925 N 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
3
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Temple University, 1947 N 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Polymers 2024, 16(12), 1693; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16121693
Submission received: 19 April 2024 / Revised: 22 May 2024 / Accepted: 28 May 2024 / Published: 14 June 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Damping Mechanisms in Polymers and Polymer Composites)

Abstract

The impact resistance of layered polymer structures using polyvinyl butyral (PVB) in combination with Kevlar® fabric and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were fabricated and tested. Methods of wet impregnation and hot-press impregnation and consolidation of fabric with PVB and UHMWPE were used to manufacture multilayer constructs. All sandwich constructs were fixed to the surface of ballistic clay and subject to a free drop-weight test with a conical impactor having a small contact area. All tests were made at the same impact energy of 9.3 J and velocity of 2.85 m/s. The change in the resistance force was recorded using a piezoelectric force sensor at the time intervals of 40 μs. Using experimental force–time history, the change in the impactor’s velocity, the depth of impactor penetration, the energy transformation at various stages of impactor interaction with the sample, and other parameters were obtained. Three indicators were considered as the main criteria for the effectiveness of a sample’s resistance to impact: (1) minimum deformation, bulging, of the panel backside at the moment of impact, (2) minimum absorption of impact energy per areal density, and (3) minimal or, better yet, no destruction of structural integrity. Under the tested conditions, the rigid Kevlar–PVB–Kevlar sandwich at the frontside and relatively soft but flexible UHMWPE–Kevlar–UHMWPE layers in the middle helped to localize and absorb impact energy, while the backside Kevlar–PVB–Kevlar sandwich minimized local bulging providing the best overall performance. The front layer damage area was very shallow and less than two impactor tip diameters. The backside bulging was also less than in any other tested configurations.
Keywords: impact resistance; armor panel; multilayer polymer constructs; Kevlar®; ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene; polyvinyl butyral; backside deformation; absorption energy impact resistance; armor panel; multilayer polymer constructs; Kevlar®; ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene; polyvinyl butyral; backside deformation; absorption energy
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MDPI and ACS Style

Nael, M.A.; Dikin, D.A.; Admassu, N.; Elfishi, O.B.; Percec, S. Damage Resistance of Kevlar® Fabric, UHMWPE, PVB Multilayers Subjected to Concentrated Drop-Weight Impact. Polymers 2024, 16, 1693. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16121693

AMA Style

Nael MA, Dikin DA, Admassu N, Elfishi OB, Percec S. Damage Resistance of Kevlar® Fabric, UHMWPE, PVB Multilayers Subjected to Concentrated Drop-Weight Impact. Polymers. 2024; 16(12):1693. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16121693

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nael, Manal A., Dmitriy A. Dikin, Natnael Admassu, Omar Bahgat Elfishi, and Simona Percec. 2024. "Damage Resistance of Kevlar® Fabric, UHMWPE, PVB Multilayers Subjected to Concentrated Drop-Weight Impact" Polymers 16, no. 12: 1693. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16121693

APA Style

Nael, M. A., Dikin, D. A., Admassu, N., Elfishi, O. B., & Percec, S. (2024). Damage Resistance of Kevlar® Fabric, UHMWPE, PVB Multilayers Subjected to Concentrated Drop-Weight Impact. Polymers, 16(12), 1693. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16121693

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