Investigation of impact resistance of multilayered woven composite barrier impregnated with the shear thickening fluid

Abstract

Dynamic properties of the Shear Thickening Fluid (STF) are studied. Two series of tests by the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar method were carried out to determine the dynamic bulk and shear properties of STF. The hypothesis about the possibility to describe STF behavior by a Newtonian fluid model in the characteristic range of strain rates is confirmed. A simplified mathematical model of the STF is then formulated for the use in computer simulation of ballistic impact tests of multilayered composite protective shells. The effectiveness of the STF impregnation for improvement of ballistic impact characteristics of Kevlar woven fabrics is confirmed. It is concluded that the role of the contact conditions between STF and Kevlar basis in the process of increasing the energy absorption capacity of Kevlar-STF barrier is significant, noting that the mechanism of contact interaction between STF and Kevlar basis can be described by viscous friction law, i.e., the STF behaves almost as a rigid body during the interactions with the solids, while it normally behaves as a fluid. It is also established that the STF impregnation of protective shells with titanium framework not only increases the absorption capacity of the whole package but also reduces the deflection of the metal base.