Experimental study of bullet-proofing capabilities of Kevlar, of different weights and number of layers, with 9 mm projectiles

Abstract

Kevlar is the most commonly used material as armour for protection against bullets used in hand guns because of its impact resistance, high strength and low weight. These properties make Kevlar an ideal material to be used in bullet-proof vests as compared to other materials. In the present study, different numbers of layers of Kevlar with different weights are tested to determine the weights and the number of layers needed to design a safe bullet-proof vest. For this purpose, several ballistic tests were performed on combinations of ballistic gel and Kevlar layers of different weights. Ballistic impacts are generated by 9 mm Parabellum ammunition. The objective is to assess the characteristics of high-speed ballistic penetration into a combination of a gel and Kevlar and determine the number of layers needed to safely stop the 9 mm bullet and thereby contribute to the design of safe bullet-proof vests. The tests provide information on the distances the bullets can travel in a gel/Kevlar medium before they are stopped and to identify the resistance capabilities of Kevlar of different grams per square meter (GSM). The tests were conducted with the use of a chronograph in a controlled test environment. Specifically, results identify the number of layers of Kevlar required to stop a 9 mm Parabellum projectile, and the effectiveness of using different number of layers of GSM Kevlar material. Keywords: Kevlar, 9 mm Parabellum bullet, Ballistic impact, Ballistic gel, Material testing