Stab-resistance of shear thickening fluid enhanced nylon fabrics

The stab resistance of shear thickening fluid(STF)-treated nylon fabrics was investigated.It is found that the SiO2/PEG 400 dispersion with the solid loading of 10vol% is a typical shear thickening fluid and STF-treated nylon has an improvement in resistance of impact energy compared to neat nylon.Studies on the microstructure of the material damage mechanism indicate that nylon fibres adheres to each other by STF addition while impacted by knife,which reduces the mobility of filaments and yarns in the impact zone,and the impact energy transfers through fibres at a high speed.These results indicate that these novel materials can be used to fabricate flexible body armors that provide improved protection against stab threats.