Ballistic impact response of flexible and rigid UHMWPE textile composites: Experiments and simulations

Abstract

This study elaborates on the effects of matrix rigidity on the high-velocity impact behaviour of UHMWPE textile composites using experimental and numerical methods. Textile composite samples were manufactured of a plain-weave fabric (comprising Spectra® 1000 fibres) and four different matrix materials. High-velocity impact tests were conducted by launching a spherical steel projectile to strike on the prepared samples via a gas gun. The experimental results showed that the textile composites gradually changed from a membrane stretching mode to a plate bending mode as the matrix rigidity and thickness increased. The composites deformed in the membrane stretching mode had higher impact resistance and energy absorption capacity, and it was found that the average energy absorption per ply was much higher in this mode, although the number of broken yarns was smaller in the perforated samples. Moreover, the flexible matrix composites always had higher perforation resistance but larger deformation than the rigid matrix counterparts in the tested thickness and velocity range. A novel numerical modelling approach with enhanced computational efficiency was proposed to simulate textile composites in mesoscale resolution. The simulation results revealed that stress and strain development in the more rigid matrix composite was localised in the vicinity of the impact location, leading to larger local deformation and inferior perforation resistance.