Resistweave Cloth Coveralls

[nuke11]

I've been researching body armor, helmets, and ballistic inserts and am having a hard time with a uniform made out of this material. It is most likely from the aramid family of fabric, but when used as a uniform this is where the problems begin for the coveralls (don't like the coverall idea either).

Most, if not all types of body armor must dissipate the kinetic energy over a wide surface area with lots of padding and multiple layers of Kevlar.

How is a uniform made out of this stuff working? (coverall is around an NIJ I)The current trend in testing of ballistic resistant uniforms are soft Kevlar insert pads within the uniform itself. These are NIJ Level II with at least 24 layers of Kevlar per pad.

[kato13]

I am not sure of the physics exactly, but my assumption was that the fibers were in some ways similar to a super cooled liquid (which will rapidly freeze when disrupted).

So you have a polymer which is totally flexible, but when it is sharply shocked in some way the outer layer will stiffen and the inner layer will convert (and expand) into something like Aerogel.

It is a stretch but it is the best I could come up with.

[nuke11]

Originally Posted by kato13

I am not sure of the physics exactly, but my assumption was that the fibers were in some ways similar to a super cooled liquid (which will rapidly freeze when disrupted).

So you have a polymer which is totally flexible, but when it is sharply shocked in some way the outer layer will stiffen and the inner layer will convert (and expand) into something like Aerogel.

It is a stretch but it is the best I could come up with.

Interesting idea, very interesting.

[mmartin798]

The most likely way it works is by infusing the fibers with a shear thickening fluid, with is basically a non-newtonian fluid. This is real world work that is being used to make kevlar more resistant to knives and shivs. Work has also been done putting this gel in a vest and stopping a round of unspecified caliber at speeds up to 1400 f/s.

Non-newtonian fluids rapidly change from a flowing liquid to almost solid when stress is applied. In a resistweave material, this would serve to spread the impact over a large area assuming the fabric is something like a kevlar or other ballistic material.

[.45cultist]

I use resistweave utilities with velcro and snaps like chemsuits.

[ArmySGT.]

I use the Air Crewman uniform as my basis for MP project fatigues.

No I don't go with the coveralls unless I am playing a straight MP rules game.

Otherwise players get....... PASGT vest and Helmet..... Second chance IIIA body armor and one ballistic shield for MARS per team.

Boots have the spike and nail proof ceramic inserts.

[nuke11]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

The most likely way it works is by infusing the fibers with a shear thickening fluid, with is basically a non-newtonian fluid. This is real world work that is being used to make kevlar more resistant to knives and shivs. Work has also been done putting this gel in a vest and stopping a round of unspecified caliber at speeds up to 1400 f/s.

Non-newtonian fluids rapidly change from a flowing liquid to almost solid when stress is applied. In a resistweave material, this would serve to spread the impact over a large area assuming the fabric is something like a kevlar or other ballistic material.

Would there be enough fluid within the fiber for it to thicken enough to slow and dissipate a fast moving projectile? I don't know a lot about these fluids but what would the material feel like? And would it need to be kept in a certain temperature range?

[mmartin798]

I can't find the video which was impregnating kevlar fibers with this kind of liquid to make them much more resistant to being stabbed with a knife. But here is one that shows the gel insert for a vest that illustrates the ability to stop a bullet. If i find the one about the kevlar and knives, which is more likely what resistweave would be like, I will post it.

http://www.sciencealert.com/liquid-a...er-than-kevlar

Here is a link to a journal article about it. One highlight from the article is that an army research study found that 4 layers of STF impregnated kevlar was as effective as 14 layer of untreated kevlar. So as far as how it moves, would not be too bad.

http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/fall-2013/liquid-body-armor