Effects of STF and Fiber Characteristics on Quasi-Static Stab Resistant Properties of Shear Thickening Fluid (STF)-Impregnated UHMWPE/Kevlar Composite Fabrics

In order to deeply explore the fiber characteristics influencing on stab resistance of shear thickening fluid (STF)- impregnated fabrics, two different weaving fabrics, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fabric and Kevlar fabrics are saturate the various concentrations and particle size of STFs. Result shows that, SiO2/PEG-200 blends demonstrate quick shear-thickening property, and the critical shear rate lowers to 1.2-45 s-1 with higher concentration of 75 nm SiO2. STF concentration and particle size significantly affect spike puncture resistance property, but the knife stab resistance mainly depends on fiber characteristics. Comparatively, STF-UHMWPE composite fabrics exhibit better knife stab resistance but weaker spike puncture resistance than STF-Kevlar fabrics. This study can provide an optimization for structure design of stab resistance armors in the future.