Characteristics Of Aramid Fiber Composite Materials

Strong resistance to impact and cracking

Aramid fibers have excellent impact resistance and will not break under pressure because they are tough and can absorb a lot of energy. It is widely used to make bulletproof vests, marine armor, kayaks and military vehicle components. Aramid fiber composites have an impact resistance that is five times that of carbon fiber composites (tested using the drop weight impact method). This extraordinary impact or bullet resistance is caused by the long chain of atoms that make up the aramid structure.

Due to its excellent impact resistance, aramid fibers are widely used in military applications to make bulletproof vests and tank armor materials. Bulletproof vests are usually made of materials composed of dozens of layers of aramid, such as Kevlar, and include a ceramic plate between the two layers. The shields used in some armored vehicles (such as the US M1 tank) are made of steel-aramid-steel materials and can protect against anti-tank missiles with a diameter of up to 700mm.

Aramid fibers are widely used in the field of bulletproof vests

In addition, in addition to protecting the tank itself, the steel-kevlar-steel shield can also protect the crew by absorbing the kinetic energy generated by penetrating missiles. Another application of Kevlar is on the Boeing AH-64, a workhorse attack helicopter of the US military equipped with Kevlar rotors. Here, Kevlar provides protection against bullets up to 23mm in diameter.