Experimental investigation on ballistics resistance of UHMWPE fiber laminates

Abstract

To study the application of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (UHMWPE) laminates in light protection field, the ballistic test was used to study the ballistic resistance of UHMWPE fiber materials. In the experiment, 9mm standard bullets were launched by a revolver pistol and 92 type pistol to penetrate the fiber laminates respectively, and the initial velocity of the bullet was recorded by the infrared tachometer. The influence of the areal density, the number of layers, the incident angle and the initial velocity on the protective properties of the fiber laminates were discussed, meanwhile, the microscopic characteristics of the failure mode of the fiber laminates were studied by stereomicroscope. The results show that the areal density and the layer number have obvious influence on the ballistic resistance of the fiber laminates, and the influence of the two materials should be taken into account. In the non-penetrating condition, the total deformation of the fiber laminates is large and the failure of the fiber bundle is the main failure mode. And when penetrated completely, the tensile fracture of fiber laminate material is the main failure mechanism. The study of this paper provides experimental reference for the structural design of UHMWPE fiber laminates.