The effect of bond coat type on the stab resistance of Al2O3–13 wt% TiO2 plasma sprayed ceramic coating on aramid fabrics

Aramid fabrics are used in impact-resistant equipment because of their lightness and flexibility. However, the resistance of aramid fabrics to high-energy impacts is not sufficient. Applying ceramic coatings is one of the best methods to increase the stab resistance of the fabrics. In this rout, the type of metallic bond coat has an effective role. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of bond coat type on the stab resistance of aramid fabrics coated with Al2O3–13%TiO2 as a top coat. For this purpose, this coating was applied on two different bond coats (copper and aluminum) by atmospheric plasma spraying method. Tensile strength, adhesion strength and stab resistance of the samples were evaluated. The results showed that the use of copper bond coat increased the adhesion strength of the Al2O3–13%TiO2 coating by 12% compared with the aluminum bond coat (adhesion strength of samples with copper and aluminum bond coats was 13 and 11.5 MPa respectively). Furthermore, the use of copper bond coat enhanced the stab resistance by 10% compared with the aluminum bond coat. The results of tensile strength also indicate that the structure of the fabric has been preserved and no damage to its fibers was observed after the tensile test. The tensile strength of 172 and 168 MPa was obtained for Al2O3–13%TiO2 with copper and aluminum bond coats, respectively.