Abstract:
In the last few years, natural fiber-reinforced composites have attracted the attention of materials scientists worldwide. These composites have low cost, are lightweight, are readily available, and are biodegradable. In addition, these composites have low density and high specific strength and are the most suitable candidates for low load-bearing applications. Researchers hybridize the composite with high tensile strength fiber, which can be used against high-velocity impact and in high load-bearing applications. This research used Kevlar, jute, and glass fiber with epoxy matrix for better performance, focusing on designing ballistic composite. This hybrid ballistic composite was used to defend high-impact energy projectiles. The ballistic composite is fabricated to reduce fragment penetration when dispersing bullets. This study aimed to see how epoxy matrix composites reinforced with natural jute fibers performed as a stand-alone target against high-energy munitions. To develop hybrid composites, jute fabrics must be laminated with Kevlar and plain glass cloth before being combined with epoxy. Press molding has been applied to fabricate the composite. In this research work, raw jute, scoured jute, bleached jute, jute composite, jute-glass composite, jute-Kevlar composite, and jute-glass-Kevlar composite were characterized by FTIR. The tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the four composites are found through the tensile, flexural, and impact tests. The high-velocity impact properties are found by conducting a ballistic test. The water absorption test was done for jute and different composites in normal, distilled, and saltwater for 24 hours. Fracture surface morphology and fraction nature were observed using a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope. The volume fraction's impact on the primary failure mechanism and tensile behavior was investigated to derive the ballistic parameter. The collected results were evaluated using statistical techniques. The depth of penetration induced by the bullet in a clay witness block representing a human body is used to assess ballistic performance according to international standards. The results have demonstrated that jute fiber and aramid fiber mixed hybrid composites absorb high-velocity impact, and jute fiber acts like brittle components like glass fiber, which helps to diminish the initial trauma of bullet impact.