Abstract
This research presents the stab resistance and thermo-physiological comfort properties of the fabrics prepared from high-performance fibres of aramid (i.e. Kevlar®) and ballistic nylon. The fabric samples were coated with boron carbide to improve the stab resistance properties. The quasistatic stab tests were performed using NIJ 0115.00 standard knife (P1) on the Instron tensile testing machine. The thermo-physiological comfort properties of the fabric samples were evaluated by measuring the air permeability, water-vapour resistance and thermal resistance. It was observed that the application of the coating significantly increased the stab resistance properties of the fabrics. Furthermore, the air permeability was significantly reduced; whereas, the water-vapour resistance and thermal resistance were significantly increased with the application of coating. Hence, the coated fabrics will have to compromise the comfort aspects to achieve the desired protection level, which is the prime requirement for the stab resistant textile materials.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.