Ballistic Resistant Body Armor: Contemporary and Prospective Materials and Related Protection Mechanisms

Modern military operations, technology-driven war tactics, and current on-street weapons and ammunition necessitate the development of advanced ballistic protection body armor systems that are damage-resistant, flexible, lightweight, and of great energy absorbing capacity. A number of studies related to new concepts and designs of body armor materials (including those derived from or inspired by nature) have been conducted in the past two decades to meet the new demands. Ballistic fabrics, ceramics, and laminated composites are among the leading materials used in modern body armor designs, and nano-particle and natural fiber filled composites are candidate materials for new-generation body armor systems. Properties and ballistic resistance mechanisms of such materials have been extensively investigated. Based on a comprehensive and critical review of the advances and findings resulting from these investigations, a comparative study on design, protection mechanisms, and performance evaluation of various types of anti-ballistic body armor is presented in this paper. Body armor systems made from different materials and exhibiting distinct ballistic energy absorption mechanisms are discussed, and key factors that influence the ballistic performance and energy absorbing mechanisms of the body armor systems are identified.