Experimental and numerical study on the ballistic performance of a ZnO-modified aramid fabric

Aramid fabrics are widely used for human protection due to their high strength and softness. Recent studies have shown that growing ZnO nanoparticles on fibers improves the mechanical properties of the fabrics. In this work, the process for preparation of ZnO-modified aramid fabrics was optimized. The mechanical properties and interyarn friction of ZnO-modified fabrics increased with increasing concentration of preparation solution and upon addition of coupling agent. The ballistic properties of the ZnO-modified fabric were improved compared with those of unmodified fabric. In particular, Z2 fabric (with added coupling agent) showed the best ballistic performance based on areal density. The ballistic limiting velocities of the single-layer, 2-layer, and 3-layer Z2 fabrics were 109.1%, 98.3%, and 67.8% higher than that of unmodified fabric, and the areal density was only increased by 8.2%. Compared with 2-layer and 3-layer unmodified fabrics, the ballistic limiting velocities of single-layer and 2-layer Z2 fabric were increased by 16% and 35.6%, respectively, and the areal densities were reduced by 45.9% and 27.9%. The results of simulations and ballistic tests were consistent, indicating that ZnO modification improved the ballistic performance of the fabrics by increasing interyarn friction and tensile properties of the fabric.