Excellent flexibility and stab-resistance on pangolin-inspired scale-like structure composite for versatile protection

Abstract

Fabric-reinforced polymer matrix composites are promising candidates for numerous cutting-edge fields, especially special personal protection, due to their excellent properties, including high specific strength and stiffness, lightweight, and ease of integration for component integration, and freedom in design. However, the poor mechanical properties in the thickness direction, low stab resistance, and ease to delaminate of traditional textile structural materials seriously restricted their wide application in various industries. Inspired by Pangolin scales, a novel scale-like structure composite is designed for versatile protection. These scale-like knitted fabrics reinforced with resin (R-SLKF) have variable bending abilities and achieve a synergy of excellent stab resistance and flexibility. Surface hardness and internal tensile effect are the keys to the superb stab resistance of this scale-like structure composite. This work opens up the possibilities for the industrial production of flexible and lightweight personal protection products and devices, which is expected to guide structure design for future innovations in advanced composites of versatile protection.