Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Ballistic Behavior of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Amazon’s Titica Vine Fibers (Heteropsis flexuosa) in Multilayered Armor System and as Stand-Alone Target

Juliana dos Santos Carneiro da Cunha
* ORCID logo ,
Lucio Fabio Cassiano Nascimento
,
Ulisses Oliveira Costa
ORCID logo ,
Wendell Bruno Almeida Bezerra
ORCID logo ,
Michelle Souza Oliveira
,
Maria de Fátima Vieira Marques
,
Ana Paula Senra Soares
,
Sergio Neves Monteiro
Version 1 : Received: 4 July 2023 / Approved: 5 July 2023 / Online: 6 July 2023 (07:02:14 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

da Cunha, J.S.C.; Nascimento, L.F.C.; Costa, U.O.; Bezerra, W.B.A.; Oliveira, M.S.; Marques, M.F.V.; Soares, A.P.S.; Monteiro, S.N. Ballistic Behavior of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Amazon Titica Vine Fibers (Heteropsis flexuosa) in Multilayered Armor System and as Stand-Alone Target. Polymers 2023, 15, 3550. da Cunha, J.S.C.; Nascimento, L.F.C.; Costa, U.O.; Bezerra, W.B.A.; Oliveira, M.S.; Marques, M.F.V.; Soares, A.P.S.; Monteiro, S.N. Ballistic Behavior of Epoxy Composites Reinforced with Amazon Titica Vine Fibers (Heteropsis flexuosa) in Multilayered Armor System and as Stand-Alone Target. Polymers 2023, 15, 3550.

Abstract

Titica vine fibers (TVFs) extracted from aerial roots of Heteropsis flexuosa, from the Amazon region, were 10, 20, 30 and 40 vol% incorporated into an epoxy matrix for applications in ballistic multilayered armor systems (MASs) and stand-alone tests for personal protection against high-velocity 7.62 mm ammunition. The back-face signature (BFS) depth measured for composites with 20 and 40 vol% TVFs used as an intermediate layer in MASs was 25.6 and 32.5 mm, respectively, below the maximum limit set by the international standard. Fracture mechanisms found by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) attested the relevance of increasing the fiber fraction for applications in MASs. The results of stand-alone tests showed that the control (0 vol%) and samples with 20 vol% TVFs absorbed the highest impact energy (Eabs) (212 – 176 J), and consequently limit velocity (VL) values (213 – 194 m/s), when compared with 40 vol% fiber fractions. However, the macroscopic evaluation found that the plain epoxy, referring to control samples, shattered completely. In addition, for 10 and 20 vol% TVFs, the composites were fragmented or exhibited delamination fracture, which contributed to their physical integrity. On the other hand, the composite with 30 and 40 vol% TVFs, whose Eabs and VL varied between 166 – 130 J and 189 – 167 m/s, respectively, showed the best dimensional stability. The SEM images indicated that for composites with 10 and 20 vol% TVFs the fracture mode was predominantly brittle, due to the greater performance of the epoxy resin and the discrete action of the fibers. While for composites with 30 and 40 vol% TVFs, there was the activation of more complex mechanisms such as pullout, shearing and fiber rupture.

Keywords

natural fibers composite; titica vine fibers; multilayered armor; ballistic

Subject

Chemistry and Materials Science, Materials Science and Technology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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