Design of a bullet-proof vest using shear thickening fluid

Abstract

Bulletproof vests are used to protect the user from bullets fired at them. Various such vests are currently available and are bullet resistant to a particular threat level. The protection is given by the material used to produce the ballistic panel. Different types of materials can be used to obtain various properties and different strength levels. While the material imparts strength, the amount of material used also affects the protection. The current focus in the market is to produce vests with minimum weight and thickness. The target of this research was to develop a ballistic panel using textile materials. Further, the possibility of using a Shear Thickening Fluid was explored in order to reduce the amount of textile fabric used.