Abstract
The paper presents a study on the ballistic performance of 3D woven wadded through-the-thickness angle-interlock fabrics (TTAI) fabric reinforced composites. Their energy absorption and damage morphology are examined experimentally through perforated ballistic test and X-CT (X-ray Computed Tomography). The results show that the wadded TTAI exhibits a 3.3% higher energy absorption and a 4.6% improved efficiency in energy absorption when compared to a plain weave fabric reinforced composite panel at an equivalent areal density. A 65.3% reduced delamination damage volume and a highly fibrillated failure morphology at the impact location are also noticed on the wadded TTAI reinforced composite, which implies a better utilization of the fiber strength by tensile fracture in absorbing the impact energy. The findings will instruct the future design of lightweight structures for ballistic protective uses, especially those applications with doubly curved shapes.
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The authors declare that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the UK Knowledge Transfer Challenge CASE Studentship and the UK Dstl; National Natural Science Foundation of China, grant number 11902008; Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, grant number KM201810012003 for their finance support, and Teijin® for providing para-aramid fibers for this research. The assistance received from the Henry Moseley X-Ray Imaging Facility (HMXIF) and the National Composites Certification and Evaluation (NCCEF) at the University of Manchester are greatly appreciated.
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Min, S., Chen, X. Study on the Ballistic Performance of Multiply Wadded Through-the-thickness Angle-interlock Fabric Reinforced Composites. Appl Compos Mater 29, 263–272 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-021-09953-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10443-021-09953-4