Development of Armour Plates Using Kevlar Woven Fibre/Epoxy Resin Composites

This research investigated the development of armor plates utilizing Kevlar woven fiber as reinforcement, epoxy resin as the binder, and 2,4,6- Triamino-1,3,5 triazine as a fire retardant additive. Ten samples (AP1- AP10) were fabricated using hand laying and compression molding techniques. Mechanical properties tests including: tensile strength, flexural strength, hardness, impact strength and thermogravimetric analysis were carried out on the fabricated samples. The results revealed that sample AP5 has the best properties with highest tensile strength of 71.25 MPa and tensile modulus of 523.897 MPa, indicating superior structural integrity; greatest flexural strength (141.20 MPa) and flexural modulus (5.097 GPa); adequate impact resistance with an impact strength of 0.1168 J/mm and hardness value of 64.67Hv. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated critical thermal degradation properties, revealing significant differences among samples in terms of thermal stability. The armor plate was developed using sample AP5. The ballistic performance tests confirmed that the developed composite plates from AP5 effectively resist penetration from the AK-47’s 7.62mm x 39mm rounds at distances of 100m and 75m. However, performance decreases at closer ranges (50m and 25m), suggesting a critical threshold for effective ballistic protection. The findings emphasize the importance of optimizing composite design to mitigate vulnerability to laminate failure under varying impact conditions. Overall, this study contributes to advancements in ballistic protection materials, potentially enhancing safety in defense applications.