Numerical and experimental study of ballistic response of kevlar fabric and kevlar/epoxy composite

Kevlar is a type of aramid fibers which is characterized by high strength to low weight ratio. This material is widely used in bulletproof vests and helmets, in which it creates a barrier to projectiles to protect specific objectives, laminated tubes and pressure vessels, etc. In this study the ballistic behavior of Kevlar /epoxy composite and Kevlar fabric is investigated. The results showed that Kevlar fabrics were more resistant against projectiles. Tensile and punch tests revealed that although the Kevlar/Epoxy composite enjoys higher strength, undergoes lower deformation than Kevlar fabric. The results also indicated that the failure mechanism of Kevlar fabric was quite ductile whereas the presence of epoxy in Kevlar/epoxy changed the failure mechanism from ductile to brittle in the form of plugging in ballistic tests. Finally, the ballistic behavior of the Kevlar fabric was simulated by ABAQUS finite element software and the results were validated by the experiment.