Manufacturing of dilatant fluid embodied Kevlar-Glass-hybrid-3D-fabric sandwich composite panels for the enhancement of ballistic impact resistance

Abstract

The effect of dilatant fluids embodied within the cores of the sandwich composite panels (SCP) have not been exploited much but it promises to enhance the energy absorption of the composite panels when a ballistic impact is subjected on them. To attain this, the manufacturing of an ingenious variety of SCP is carried out, possessing a novel arrangement of a core of Glass-3D-fabric composite sandwiched between Kevlar-Glass hybrid-face-sheets on either side for the coherent energy dissipation upon ballistic impact. Novel techniques for the manufacturing of the SCPs and innovative technologies to embody the cores of the composites with dilatant fluids have been effectively carried out. A high-velocity ballistic impact employing 0.38″-caliber bullets of average velocity-175 m/s was subjected on the manufactured dilatant-fluid-incorporated SCPs. It was observed that due to the embodiment of the dilatant fluid within the SCP, it could absorb 94.50% of the energy incident on it. It also recorded 72.16% more absorbed energy and a percentage increase in absorbed energy per unit increase in mass by 87.47% in comparison to the hollow SCP. The cross-sectional damage morphologies of the composites after impact were also investigated which showed that delamination, shear plugging and fibre-failure are the main causes of energy dissipation in the sandwiched composite panels. It was also concluded that the additional energy dissipation in case of the dilatant-fluid incorporated sandwich composite panels was due to the dilatancy of the embodied dilatant fluid. This qualifies the fabricated SCPs to be used in applications requiring enhanced energy dissipation.