Abstract
The urban violence and the different types of global armed conflicts demand efficient protective systems against high energy ammunition. Multilayered Armor Systems (MAS) provide efficient protection by making use of lighter and more efficient materials. A typical MAS may be composed of three layers: a front ceramic followed by a composite, backed by a ductile metal. Polymer composites reinforced with natural fibers have proven to be effective second layers, being also lighter, low-cost and environmentally friendly as compared to conventional composites like KevlarTM. The present work evaluates MAS using as second layer polyester composites reinforced with 10, 20, and 30 vol. % of sisal fibers. Ballistic tests were performed using class III 7.62x51 mm ammunition, based on the NIJ 0101.06 backface signature methodology. Both the 30 vol.% sisal fiber composite and the conventional aramid laminates were equally efficient in terms of MAS second layer. The explanation might be the similar capacity of the different composites to retain the fragments generated by the interaction of the projectile with the front ceramic, independently of the percentage of sisal fibers.
Highlights
The ever expanding urban and war armed conflicts demand efficient personal armor protective systems
Natural fiber reinforced composites are being extensively studied as possible Multilayered Armor Systems (MAS) second layer in both ballistic[7,8,9,10,11] and non-ballistic[12] applications, due to their good performance associated with other advantages over conventional composites like KevlarTM, such as being lighter, cheaper and environmentally friendly
The objective of this work was to evaluate the ballistic behavior of 0, 10, 20 and 30 vol.% sisal fiber-reinforced polyester composites as a MAS second layer subjected to 7.62 mm ballistic impact
Summary
The ever expanding urban and war armed conflicts demand efficient personal armor protective systems. For high impact energy ammunitions, such as 7.62 mm, one single material armor is not efficient enough to either stop the projectile or prevent a lethal trauma to the wearer[1,2] For this type of ammunition, light and efficient solutions have been developed, in the form of Multilayered Armor Systems (MAS), called Composite Armor[3,4,5,6]. These systems can be used for ballistic protection in various applications, including an individual personal vest and equipment, like armored vehicles. Natural fiber reinforced composites are being extensively studied as possible MAS second layer in both ballistic[7,8,9,10,11] and non-ballistic[12] applications, due to their good performance associated with other advantages over conventional composites like KevlarTM, such as being lighter, cheaper and environmentally friendly
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
