Journal of Textile Research ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (11): 126-136.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20241004201

• Textile Engineering • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Influence of layer number and layup mode on anti-penetration performance of multi-layer aramid plain woven fabric

LI Xintian1, ZHOU Xuan1, WANG Zhanhuan1, DU Zhonghua1,2, XU Lizhi1()   

  1. 1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, China
    2. School of Equipment Engineering, Shenyang Ligong University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110158, China
  • Received:2024-10-21 Revised:2025-08-06 Online:2025-11-15 Published:2025-11-15
  • Contact: XU Lizhi E-mail:xulznjust@163.com

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Abstract:

Objective One of the methods to improve the protection ability of bulletproof vests is to optimize flexible fabrics. Therefore, it is important to understand the energy absorption of fabrics and optimize the protection structure at the same areal density. In previous studies on multi-layer fabrics, the focus was mostly on simple layering method. Building on the exploration of the energy absorption law of multi-layer fabrics, this study further investigates the influence of different angular layering methods on the energy absorption of multi-layer fabrics.
Method Aramid plain woven fabric (Kevlar®29) was taken as the research object, and 7.62 mm pistol bullets were used to impact the target plate at a velocity of (310±5) m/s. The four-week clamping method was employed to set up the fabric target boards as conventional single-layer, three-layer, and five-layer fabric targets, as well as a five-layer fabric target with 30° interlayer intervals ([0°/30°/60°/90°/120°]), designated as FP1, FP3, FP5, and FP5-30, respectively. The influence of the number of fabric layers and layup modes on the energy absorption level was explored through ballistic tests and finite element simulations.
Results After the projectile penetrated the targets, the damage morphologies of the front and rear layers of the target plate were different. As the position was further back, yarn slippage gradually replaced yarn breakage, and became the main damage mode. The main damage of the front fabric showed severe yarn breakage at the bullet hole, accompanied by the occurrence of yarn slippage.+++By observing the fracture section of the yarn under an optical microscope, it was found that the fiber fracture exhibited obvious local necking and a conical fracture segment, indicating that the yarn failure was mainly dominated by tensile damage. The damage of the fabric on the rear side of the target plate showed no yarn breakage at the bullet hole, but yarn slippage was the main damage mode. During the penetration process, the three target plates demonstrated different magnitudes of acceleration and penetration times. During the penetration of the three target plates FP5, FP3, and FP1, the projectile acceleration became 0 at 60 μs, 56.5 μs, and 54.5 μs, respectively. Comparing the five-layer target plate FP5 to the five-layer target plate FP5-30 with spiral layup, it was found that when the FP5 target plate started to fail, the FP5-30 target plate still maintained the integrity. At 30 μs, the FP5-30 target plate started to fail while the FP5 target plate had been severely damaged. At 34 μs, the damage to the FP5 target plate continued to worsen, while the FP5-30 target plate became severely damaged. However, the damage diameter of the FP5 target plate is larger than that of the FP5-30 target plate. Because of the change of the layup angle, the response range of in-plane stress waves in the fabric is altered. All fabric layers in FP5 exhibit similar rhombic response regions, while the in-plane stress waves in the middle layers of FP5-30 (i.e., the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th layers) propagate outward in a nearly circular wave pattern. Eventually, the FP5 target plate presents a pyramid shape with the bottom shrinking inward, whereas the FP5-30 target plate shows a pyramid shape with the bottom expanding outward.
Conclusion The energy absorbed by the FP5 target plate is 45.49% and 472.82% higher than that of the FP3 target plate and the FP1 target plate, respectively. The specific energy absorption per unit areal density of the FP3 target plate is 14.63% higher than that of the FP1 target plate, and the specific energy absorption of the FP5 target plate is 3.0% higher than that of the FP3 target plate. The layup mode of the target plate has a great influence on the anti-penetration ability of the fabric target plate. Because of the change in the layup angle, the propagation direction of in-plane stress waves changes. Therefore, the FP5-30 target plate is more difficult to be damaged and thus shows stronger anti-penetration ability. The energy absorbed by the PF5-30 target plate is 12.47% higher than that by the FP5 target plate.

Key words: aramid plain woven fabric, finite element simulation, ballistic test, multi-layered fabric, layup mode, anti-penetration performance

CLC Number: 

  • TB332

Fig.1

Layout of test site. (a) Yarn tensile test; (b) Yarn drawing test; (c) Ballistic test"

Fig.2

Test results of material properties. (a) Tensile stress-strain curves of yarn;(b) Pull-out displacement-load curves of fabric"

Fig.3

Fabric damage conditions. (a) Damage to each layer of fabric;(b) Damage condition of front layer fabric;(c) Damage condition of rear layer fabric"

Fig.4

Schematic diagram of single yarn modeling. (a) Front view of fabric; (b) Side view of fabric;(c) Finite element model of single yarn; (d) Sectional view of finite element model of single yarn"

Tab.1

Material parameters of yarn"

参数 密度ρ/
(g·cm-3)		 弹性模量/GPa 泊松比 剪切模量/MPa 纤维
方向拉伸
强度XT/MPa
1方向E1 2方向E2 3方向E3 υ12 υ13 υ23 1-2方向
G12		 1-3方向
G13		 2-3方向
G23
介观区域
(纱线)		 1.44 90.179 9.017 9 9.017 9 0.3 0.3 0.3 901.79 901.79 901.79 2 485.33
宏观区域 1.44 90.179 90.179 9.017 9 0.3 0.3 0.3 901.79 901.79 901.79 2 485.33

Fig.5

Yarn quasi-static test simulation. (a) Single yarn tensile simulation model; (b) Yarn pull-out simulation model"

Fig.6

Ballistic impact test simulation. (a) Finite element model of multi-layer target plate impact; (b) Simulation results of damage conditions at each layer"

Tab.2

Comparison of experimental results with simulation results"

层数 弹孔直径/mm 纱线断裂数/根
实验结果 仿真结果 实验结果 仿真结果
第1层 9 9.46 5 4
第2层 8 8.53 4 4
第3层 8 8.06 4 5
第4层 8.5 8.52 2 1
第5层 8.5 8.64 0 0

Fig.7

Schematic diagram of target plate. (a) Structural diagrams of FP1 and FP3; (b) Schematic diagram of each layer of FP5-30 target plate"

Tab.3

Parameters and simulation results of multi-layer target plate"

靶板
编号		 初速度/
(m·s-1)		 末速度/
(m·s-1)		 吸收能量/
J		 比吸能/
(J·m2·g-1)
FP1 310 308.09 2.87 0.028 7
FP3 310 302.31 11.30 0.032 9
FP5 310 298.91 16.44 0.033 9

Fig.8

Changes in velocity and acceleration of projectile and internal energy of multi-layer fabric during penetration process.(a) Projectile velocity and acceleration curves; (b) Energy changes during impact process"

Fig.9

Four stages of penetration of three target plates"

Fig.10

Peaks value of kinetic energy and strain energy of FP5 and FP3"

Fig.11

Changes in velocity and acceleration of projectile and internal energy of layup fabric during penetration process.(a) Comparison of projectile speeds; (b) Comparison of projectile acceleration; (c) Peak energy comparison of eachlayer of fabric; (d) Comparison of energy dissipation due to fabric friction; (e) Kinetic energycomparison of fabrics; (f) Strain energy comparison of fabrics"

Fig.12

Cloud diagrams of damage states of target plate. (a) Cloud diagrams of damage states of FP5 target plate and FP5-30 target plate; (b) Damage cloud diagrams of each layer of FP5-30 target plate at 34 μs"

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