Analysis of the multi-filament high-performance yarns’ dynamic failure for impact resistance enhancement

Abstract

The dynamic failure behavior of multifilament high-performance yarns plays a crucial role in determining the impact resistance of advanced materials used in diverse applications such as aerospace, automotive, and protective textiles. The falling tower setup was designed to investigate the impact behavior of high-performance yarns. These models offer valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms governing yarn failure. The force-time curves of different yarn samples under various impact energies show that Kevlar and Vectran ® have the highest values of impact-resisting force, 21.9 and 21.6 N, respectively. The resisting impact energy reaches between 3.5 and 4 mJ. Enhancement of the multifilament yarn’s impact resistance was achieved through applications of silicone finishes or hybrid yarns, in which the impact resistance force and time to failure exhibited an increase across various yarn types. The ratio of impact yarn resisting force to yarn tenacity was determined to be 6.73%, 6.05%, 11.29%, and 1.71% for Vectran, Kevlar 29, polyester, and carbon yarns, respectively. Additionally, their specific yarn impact toughness was measured at 2.69, 1.32, 0.54, and 0.16 mJ/tex. The application of a 20% silicon coating increased their specific yarn impact toughness to 11.81, 5.79, 3.58, and 0.51 mJ/tex, respectively. Hybrid continuous fibers are composite materials that blend various fiber types, including carbon, Kevlar, Vectran ® , or polyester, to form a material with enhanced impact absorption energy, such as in the case of Kevlar/PET or Carbon-PET. The outcomes of these investigations substantially contribute to enhancing multi-filament high-performance yarns in various practical applications in systems subjected to dynamic loads.