Static and dynamic puncture behaviors of compound fabrics with recycled high-performance Kevlar fibers

Abstract

An economical and flexible compound fabric was prepared using Kevlar fabric and glass fabrics as well as recycled Kevlar/Nylon/low-Tm polyester nonwovens via needle-punching and thermal-bonding processes. Effects of Kevlar staple fibers fraction, number of layers and inter-laminar bonding on the static and dynamic puncture resistances were comparatively studied. Findings indicate that increase of Kevlar staple fibers fraction improved static puncture resistance more significantly, but inter-laminar shear effect influenced on dynamic puncture resistance more evidently. With 20wt% recycled Kevlar fibers, static puncture resistance had linear relation to number of layers, but dynamic puncture resistance showed a parabolic relationship. The contacting pressure and friction strength of compound fabric to probe was to resist against static puncture resistance, but mechanism for dynamic puncture resistance was due to fiber elongation of fabric interlayer and compactness of compound fabric. Yarn brittle-breakage was the main dynamic puncture resistance mechanism for G-CF, but pushing fiber apart was for K-CF, besides of contact pressure of probe to compound fabrics. The improved both of static and dynamic puncture resistances were attributed to cut resistance of Kevlar fibers and compactness of fiber assembles. Comparatively, cut resistance property of Kevlar fibers related to dynamic puncture behavior more significantly, but fiber compactness affected static puncture resistance obviously.