Engineering and analysis of gripping fabrics for improved ballistic performance

Previous studies show that fabric construction is one of the key factors affecting the performance of ballistic fabrics. In order to investigate the effect of yarn gripping in fabrics, plain woven narrow fabrics with different widths have been designed and studied. In terms of narrow fabrics, it was found that narrower fabric demonstrates better performance than wider ones under low impact energy due to the better weft yarn gripping effect of the selvages. In the case of higher impact energy, wider narrow fabric shows better ballistic performance in having sufficient material to dissipate the impact energy. Different ballistic panels were made for ballistic testing, with each panel only formed from the same fabric. Performance of narrow fabric panels is disappointing compared to the broad fabric panel due to the discontinuity of the fabric material. A novel broad fabric has been engineered providing both enhanced yarn gripping and material continuity. Tests showed that panels made from such fabrics have improved performance against both back face deformation and projectile penetration.