Conference Session B12 Paper 2158 KEVLAR: ARMOR FOR OUR MODERN KNIGHTS Rebecca Arnold (rma37@pitt.edu), I-Hui Lin (ihl4@pitt.edu) Abstract—The creation of Kevlar○R , a poly-aramid fiber, has many different applications, but its use in body armor might possibly be its most crucial and life-saving function. Kevlar ○R protection vests have saved more than 3,000 documented law enforcement officers alone, and are continuing to save more and more every day [1]. This paper will describe and explain the uses of Kevlar ○R in body armor for members of law enforcement and military. The physical and chemical properties of Kevlar® will be explained in detail to clarify why Kevlar® is used as a component body armor.. The physical and chemical properties of Kevlar ○R will be discussed; these properties include: thermal properties, tensile strength, moisture resistance, chemical structure, and intermolecular strength. Together, both the physical and the chemical properties will be applied to Kevlar ○R fibers’ effectiveness as the main element in body armor. The many components of body armor will be mentioned and related to Kevlar ○R body armor’s strength, flexibility, efficiency, and lightweight characteristic, and will be broken down, analyzed, and examined through the results of ballistic experimentation. With all of the mechanical properties of Kevlar ○R explained and described, it can be observed that body armor infused with Kevlar ○R fibers isn’t only effective and efficient, but of high standards compared to body armor composed of other compounds. into armor different calibers to protect its wearers from anything form a pistol shot to shrapnel from a land mine. What makes this fiber so strong, stable, and veritile in body armor is explored throughout ballistic experimentation, which leads us to our next section. BALLISTICS The purpose for body armor is to protect its wearer from bullets or puncturing weapons. Body armor achieves this task by deformation of the Kevlar® fibers. As a small, puncturing object, such as a bullet, collides with the armor, the fibers, which are now under great strain, deform and create tension waves. These tension waves are caused by the fibers absorbing the objects kinetic energy; thus the armor decelerates the object to a stop before it completely punctures the armor, restricting any harm that could have befallen the wearer [4]. The higher the velocity of the tension wave, the more effective the body armor will be, therefore the maximum wave propagation velocity is very important in manufacturing the perfect body armor. It can be determined that the most effective body armor will have a fiber that has a high energy capacity to absorb the kinetic energy of the puncturing object, but possibly the most important physical characteristic the fiber should possess is a high work of fracture [4]. Work of fracture is work performed when the fibers break, in turn decreasing the puncturing object’s velocity. This characteristic is present in fibers that have a strong radial structure, which is one of Kevlar®’s most sought after traits. This radial structure will be covered more in the upcoming section. The general propagation velocity can be found using a simple formula relating elasticity modulus and the thread density (1). Key Words—Kevlar ○R , Aramid Fiber, Body Armor, Protection Vests, Polymers KEVLAR: DEFINED Stephanie Kwolek, a chemist for the company DuPont, successfully created many synthetic fibers, but in 1965 she created possibly the most important fiber of them all: polypara-phenylene terephthalamide, better known as Kevlar ® [2]. Kevlar® is a poly-aramid fiber that is five times stronger than that of steel on a pound per pound basis [3]. This fiber isn’t just extraordinary because of it’s strength, however. Kevlar® has spectacular thermal properties as well; it displays minimal shrinkage in boiling water, and in air up to 177˚C, and the fiber doesn’t start decomposing until it reaches temperatures above 400 ˚C. These physical and thermal properties work together to make Kevlar® fiber perfect for over 200 applications [2], one of the most valuable being body armor. It’s intense physical and chemical strength, along with its superior thermal properties make it a great life saving material for wearers all over the world in different climates, ranging from intense arctic conditions, to high temperature desert conditions, no matter what the threat may be. Kevlar® fiber can be made 𝐸 𝑐=√ 𝜌 (1) [5] c- propagation velocity of tensions in a single thread E- elasticity modulus ρ- thread density A conclusion can be drawn from this equation: the higher the elasticity modulus and the lower the density of the fiber, the higher the propagation velocity will be. Since Kevlar® has a low density and 0.052 pounds per cubic inch and a high elasticity modulus at 10.2 pounds per square inch compared to several other fibers such as Nylon® and polyester, it is a notable choice for body armor [6]. These numbers can be seen and compared in Table I. University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering February 08, 2012 1 Rebecca Arnold I-Hui Lin However, Kevlar® doesn’t just have one constant elongation modulus. The modulus depends on several factors, but most importantly the geometric structure of the fabric. The structure of the fabric is dependent on the weft and weave of the fibers. The density of wefts and weaves of the fabric affects the propagation wave noticeably. The more wefts and weaves per unit area the fabric has, the lower the elongation modulus will be, and thus, the lower the propagation velocity for that fabric will be. This fact is proved by the Roylance Dependence. The Roylance Dependence suggests that the fiber in itself has an elongation modulus that is √2 times greater than that of the fabric when it is weaved together. So, the more stable the Kevlar® fiber is made, the less chance it has protecting its wearer against a bullet. To maximize the efficiency on the armor then, it This type of production, however, had a downfall; it is much more expensive than traditional weaved Kevlar® fiber. Therefore, some armor is better suited for different jobs. For instance, a military member who is exposed to shrapnel from hand grenades and land mines will benefit more from the more expensive and more efficient form of body armor of the non-interlaced variety. However, a police officer of a small town might not need to invest as much money into armor when traditional weaved armor will protect him all the same from common pistol-type ammunitions [6]. There are a vast amount of synthetic fibers used in industry today. Kevlar® fiber now has competition for use in body armor and protective vests because of other discoveries in the engineering of synthetic fibers. One of Kevlar ® cloth’s main threats is cloth formed of SVM fibers. It is proven that SVM cloth has a much higher energy capacity FIGURE 1 DIAGRAM OF FORMING NON-INTERLACED STRUCTURES [5] than Kevlar® for its thickness, but SVM cloth is more than two times the cost of cloth made of Kevlar® [7]. SVM material, then, can be put to better use in large industry, heavy lifting cables and other applications that require more strength and durability than body armor would require. SVM would therefore not be used to its full potential in body armor, making mass production of SVM body armor a sort of economic blunder. only makes sense not to weave the fabric. However, it is impossible to make a fabric without weaving the fibers together. Engineers have found a way to get around this barrier, however, by a method using thermowelding. Since fabric cannot be made (the traditional way) without weave and weft, Kevlar® is made by layering perpendicular sheets of parallel fibers between 3 sheets of thermowelding. These three layers consist of two outer structural layers and one inner structural layer. To get a better visualization of this structure, refer to Figure 1. 2 Rebecca Arnold I-Hui Lin TABLE I COMPARATIVE PROPERTIES OF KEVLAR® VS. OTHER FIBERS [6] key elements that makes Kevlar® fiber so strong by giving Kevlar® tensile strength in all directions. [8]. Hydrogen bonding and radial orientation both give Kevlar® fiber crystal-like properties due to the intense amount of symmetry and repetitiveness through the fibers. Kevlar® fiber adopts these crystalline properties during manufacture- more specifically the spinning process. When the solution is spun, the polymer chains align themselves parallel to the fiber’s axis, creating the repetitive and symmetrical crystalline characteristics [8]. Bright synchrotron radiation used with X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) images demonstrates these tendencies in Figure 2. The more crystalline the compound is, the stronger the intermolecular bonds are, and thus, the stronger the fiber is. In fact, the fiber’s crystalline properties are the leading contributors to Kevlar®’s intense strength. MECHANICS OF KEVLAR® Strength The strength of Kevlar® can be attributed to several of its unique chemical properties. Kevlar® is a polymer in which each of its monomers is made of C14H10N2O2, which makes it a polyaromatic amide [8]. These chains of aramids and amides are manufactured by tightly spinning high concentrations of poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide solution through a spinneret to form straight thin strands of Kevlar® fiber [9]. This fiber is so strong because the aromatic groups exist with radial orientation. This accounts for the symmetry and ordered structure of Kevlar® fiber’s repetitive spine. This repetitiveness gives the fiber very few flaws and then, in turn, very few weak spots. The radial structure is uncommon in poly-aramid fibers, as most are instead transversely isotropic giving those types of fibers kinks and bends. These kinks and bends thus in turn make the fiber weaker inch per inch [10]. Kevlar® fibers vertical stable structure isn’t its only source of strength, however. These strands have strength horizontally, as well. Kevlar® fibers form strong bonds with each other through hydrogen bonding that occur between the hydrogen atoms on the amide groups. These hydrogen bonds pull the strands close together, and give the fiber strength in structure. Since there is a hydrogen bond for every monomer of the chain, hydrogen bonding is one of the FIGURE 2 XANES IMAGE OF KEVLAR® FIBER’S RADIAL STRUCTURE [8] Although Kevlar® fiber generally has a comparatively large tensile strength, high tenacity, and high modulus compared to other yarns (see Table 1), it lacks in its percent elongation-to-break. Kevlar® fiber is flexible; however it 3 Rebecca Arnold I-Hui Lin does not stretch very easily, as compared to other fibers. This characteristic can be modified, however, with the addition of other materials in the body armor. Therefore, even though this may be one of Kevlar®’s weak points, it can easily be optimized. Its other qualities such as its high tensile strength, high intermolecular strength, and stable structure are great redeeming qualities that over-ride its low percent elongation-to-to break. The strength of Kevlar® fiber is crucial when it is used as a component of body armor. Its great strength is the key element in being able to stop any high velocity piercing projectile, and without its chemical stability, the armor would be useless. Kevlar® fiber’s strength is what makes body armor, armor. the leading body armor fiber, as it was flame and heat resistant, but it was eventually found that it degraded at such a fast rate when exposed to heat for long periods of time, it was discarded as a body armor fiber [12]. Kevlar○R fiber, like Zylon®, is a good heat resistant fiber. Not only does Kevlar○R fiber resist high temperature, but it also can improve the fire resistance of the body armor [11]. If a flame is applied to body armor infused with Kevlar ®, the body armor will degrade. However, once the flame source is removed, the fiber will stop burning. This is mainly due to Thermal Properties Kevlar®’s strength isn’t its only strong suit; Kevlar® fiber also has optimal thermal properties. Kevlar ○R fiber’s thermal properties allow it to resist the heat released by the friction between a bullet and the body armor. This is especially important, because the deformation of the wave propagation will not be affected negatively by this heat. The reason Kevlar® doesn’t melt, is because it is actually classified as a thermoplastic. Since thermoplastics don’t melt prior to decomposition, Kevlar® fiber will not melt down [11]. Hydrogen bonds between the Kevlar molecules and the crystalline structure play a key function in Kevlar®’s thermal properties. Breaking the crystalline structure requires all the hydrogen bonds between two molecules to be severed at once. It takes an immense amount of energy in the form of heat to break these hydrogen bonds, so that hydrolysis, used to break down polymers, can occur [11]. The thermal degradation of Kevlar ○R fiber was measured by a TG 209 F1 Iris device. This device helped calculate the thermal degradation by means of chemical observation. When Kevlar ○R fiber was heated, it would release HCN, NO2, CO, CO2, and H2O. The absorption of those gases could be observed to determine when the decomposition started [11]. Even though exposure to elevated temperatures can degrade the properties of Kevlar®, Kevlar ○R fiber still has relative high thermal stability as we can see from Figure 3. This graph shows that Kevlar○R fiber starts to lose significant amount of weight at 548°C and has terminal temperature of decomposition at 643.7°C. These temperatures are extremely high, so they do not affect its use in body armor that will only be worn in atmospheric temperatures. However, Kevlar® fiber does lose measurable amounts of strength in between temperatures of 100°C to 548°C due to slow oxidation of the polymer. This reaction is extremely slow, and the strength lost is minimal, but it is still a factor that needs to be taken into consideration when using Kevlar® in body armor [11]. Kevlar® may lose strength at high temperatures over extended periods of time, but it is still the slowest degrating body armor material made. Zylon®, for instance was once FIGURE 3 DEGRADATION OF KEVLAR AT HIGH TEMPERATURES [11] the fact that Kevlar® has a low thermal conductivity. Kevlar®’s thermal conductivity is realatively low to other fibers that are similar to Kevlar®, making it another great choice of body armor material [11]. Since Kevlar® fiber has an extremely high degradation temperature, oxidizes very slowly when exposed to high temperatures over extended periods of time, and can resist heat and flames, Kevlar® fiber is a prime choice for body armor. Weaknesses Although Kevlar® has outstanding physical and chemical properties making it one of the strongest synthetic fibers ever engineered, it does have its downfalls. Kevlar® fiber can stand an intense amount of heat, has a very high tensile strength for its density, and is an extremely stable chemical polymer, but it has a few commonplace threats. One of biggest issues with Kevlar® fiber is its sensitivity to ultraviolet light. If Kevlar® is exposed to certain wavelengths of the solar spectrum (between 300nm to 450nm), degradation may occur. The energy given off by these wavelengths are at just the right level to excite the electrons in the bonds of the fiber to break the bonds holding the polymer together. If this occurs, the result will be significant loss of the mechanical properties of the fiber [6]. However, Kevlar® body armor can easily be covered up when wearing outside. Along with that seemingly simple fix, other components can be added to the armor to increase its 4 Rebecca Arnold I-Hui Lin resistance to UV light, such as Soft Armor Panels, which will be talked more about in the components section. Another one of Kevlar® fibers faults is its weakness against strong acids and bases. When Kevlar® is exposed to very strong acids and bases, its strength deteriorates considerably. This can be a serious fault if the wearer is going to be present among concentrated chemicals that have a potential of being splashed onto the armor. The good side of this is it still takes several hours for Kevlar® to degrade completely, so its wearer will still be protected long after the spill occurs. As of now, there is no immediate fix to Kevlar®’s weakness to strong acids and bases, as most fibers have the same, if not worse, effect. Sensitivity to UV light and strong acids and bases are Kevlar®’s only downfall. The issue of UV light can easily be avoided, and strong acids and bases aren’t very likely to be splashed onto most wearers, and if they do get splashed onto the vest, the wearer still has several hours of protection remaining before any significant loss of strength develops. standard weights of body armor are 6.31 kg and 6.62 kg for a standard and large size vest, respectively. These weight maximums are hard not to surpass. As we know, Kevlar® fiber is the main component of body armor. It has high strength to weight ratio, but it still takes between 20 and 40 layers of Kevlar to stop a bullet [4]. The stacking of layers increases the weight and the stiffness considerably, which is a large issue. Thanks to materials engineering, there is a solution to this problem. There are two fluids that can greatly optimize body armor in terms of lightness and flexibility. These fluids increase Kevlar®’s efficiency by soaking into Kevlar® and strengthening the fiber [14]. The first liquid is a shear-thickening fluid (STF). When external forces exert pressure on STF soaked Kevlar®, the surface of it will abruptly solidify. Thus, when a bullet strikes on the STF soaked body armor, the fibers will harden in a few milliseconds, stopping the bullet before it penetrates the armor. This strengthening occurs because the fluid is a colloid, made up of tiny suspended particles repelling each other. When an external force exert on this fluid, the suspended particles form masses called hydroclusters. These hydroclusters act as a wall that stops the bullet within milliseconds. Then, once the force is done being exerted, the masses disperse back into suspended particles, leaving the vest almost as it was before the bullet was shot at it. This is an important factor when considering body armor. The wearer should be able to be protected against multiple shots, and this colloid gives the body armor a much greater chance of protecting the wearer multiple times before the vest is no longer stable [14]. STF soaked Kevlar® is much more efficient than plain Kevlar® vests, as shown in laboratory tests. Four layers of STF-treated Kevlar○R fibers can dispel the same amount of energy as fourteen layers of Kevlar○R fibers do. Soaking the Kevlar® fibers in STF thus optimizes Kevlar® fiber’s efficiency and also decreases the weight considerably, making the weight maximums easier to stay under [14]. The other kind of fluid is magnetorheological (MR) fluid, a type of oil filled with tiny iron particles. Armor soaked in MR is hooked up to a portable power supply. This portable power supply can produce a magnetic field around the armor, causing the iron in the fluid to line up and harden significantly, as shown in Figure 4. This hardening process takes only around twenty thousandths of a second, making it a very efficient and quick way to protect its wearer. The armor becomes so hard, that it can stop a bullet or any type of shrapnel that may be projected at the wearer, potentially saving the wearer’s life. When the magnetic field is suppressed, the armor becomes fluid again, allowing the wearer to move about freely once again [14]. MR fluid has several drawbacks, nonetheless. MR fluid infused armor relies on the wearer to activate the magnetic field. This is especially a large issue if the wearer is not expecting to be hit with an explosion, shrapnel, or a bullet. If this happens, the wearer could be severely injured, and on top of that, the armor could be damaged. If the armor COMPONENTS OF BODY ARMOR: When body armor is produced, Kevlar ® fiber is not the only component present. Other fibers and materials are needed to make body armor “user friendly” and also secure. One of the main and probably most simple components of body armor is Velcro. Velcro straps allow the vest to be taken off easily and quickly, which can be vital in cases where the wearer is wounded [13]. Even though the main function of the Velcro fasteners is to improve the easiness of wearing, they still need to provide certain level of strength to ensure the stability of the body armor. The peel and sheer strength of the Velcro used in body armor cannot be below certain regulations made for each vest [13]. In order to fit human bodies comfortably and snugly, body armor must have a certain level of softness and flexibility to keep up with the range and speed of the wearers body movements. This is extremely important, because body armor must protect the largest possible area on the wearer, including the neck and collar. The neck has to be totally free to move around as it needs to, so the restriction on it has to be minimal from the armor. Other areas need to have minimal restriction as well, such as the shoulders, the groin, and the back. This softness is accomplished by adding Soft Armor Panels [13]. These Soft Armor Panels are made of two flexible polyethylene plates that allow the wearer to move more freely. If these areas of the body were restricted too much by body armor made just of Kevlar ® fiber, the body armor could end up putting the wearer at more risk, so these Soft Armor Panels are definitely an important component of Kevlar® body armor. Flexibility of the body armor is not the only element that can limit the movement and speed of the wearer; the weight of the body armor can as well. In order to avoid any severe hampering of the wearer by the weight of the body armor, there is a standard maximum weight the armor can be. The 5 Rebecca Arnold I-Hui Lin infused with MR gets damaged, there is a high chance the power supply will short circuit, leaving the body armor almost useless [14]. The iron particles in MR fluid may eventually clump together, settle in the armor, or precipitate out of the solution, thus leaving the armor much less effective. There is research being done on how to make these particles less likely to leave the solution or become dormant, but other factors need to be taken into consideration, such as the other large downfalls of this type of armor [14]. WHY KEVLAR? Ever since the day Kevlar® was engineered in 1965, more and more applications of Kevlar® fiber have been added to its already lengthy list, which makes it one of the most versatile synthetic fibers we have today. With all of the new improvements and optimization of Kevlar® fiber with regards to how it is put to use in different cloth, it is no wonder why Kevlar® is the prime choice for body armor. When its characteristics are compared with other synthetic fibers of its type, few are even comparable to its superb ballistics, strength, and stability. Even with the few flaws Kevlar® has, it is still one of the most incredible synthetic fiber innovations ever to be engineered. Kevlar®’s ballistic properties can easily be maximized with the use of non-interlacing structures settled together with thermowelding, and multi-layering of fabric. This makes Kevlar® cloth versatile and usable in several different threat-level environments, anywhere from a small community, to overseas in a war zone. These outstanding ballistics properties come from the Kevlar® fiber’s chemical composition. Kevlar® fiber is composed of long chains of poly-aramid compounds, which allow for a straight, “train-like” polymer. This is one of Kevlar®’s most unique properties, because the polymer doesn’t have kinks or bends. Therefore, weak spots in the fiber are nonexistent. On top of having a uniform structure vertically down the length of the fiber, horizontally it possesses hydrogen bonds. These strong intermolecular bonds keep the fibers closely held together adding even more strength to the fiber altogether. Kevlar®’s thermal properties are another key to this fiber’s effectiveness in body armor. Kevlar® won’t lose significant amount of weight or strength until it reaches its decomposition temperature of 548°C, which is a temperature that no human will be exposed to over a long period of time, and although all aramid fibers oxidize at high temperatures, Kevlar®’s oxidation is extremely slow and does not affect the strength significantly. Kevlar® is also a good flame resistant fiber, which is a useful property of body armor. These thermal properties then, in turn, work together to help the body armor resist the heat released by the friction applied by the bullet, allowing the fibers to absorb the bullets energy to their best potential, and decelerate it to a stop before it penetrates the armor, saving the wearers life. Body armor also has to fit and work with the human body well. The armor has to move with, not restrict, the wearers movements to ensure the wearers safety. Although Kevlar ® itself is not very flexible, additives to the armor help it become more efficient, one of these being Soft Armor Panels. They are added to increase flexibility and movement range. Although Kevlar® is already relatively lightweight, it can be soaked in liquid body armor such as STF to increase its strength, lessening the number of layers needed to protect the wearer. This greatly decreases the weight, and thus FIGURE 4 MR FLUID INFUSED KEVLAR® WITH MAGNETIC FIELDS [14] Another extreme drawback of MR fluid soaked Kevlar ® armor is the fact that the wearers need to carry around a hefty battery all the time to produce a magnetic field. So although the body armor infused with MR fluid is much lighter than plain Kevlar® armor, the weight of the battery would increase the wearer’s burden dramatically, which would cancel out the benefit of the lighter armor [14]. However, with the constant improvement in batteries over the years, a lightweight and efficient battery might not be too far out of sight. Li-ion batteries are a possible source, as they are extremely lightweight at about only 0.5g/cc 3, and it provides a decent amount of voltage per cell (3.4V to 3.7V) [15]. These cells can then be placed in circuit with one another, creating a higher voltage. Li-ion batteries are also rechargeable. There is still much more research to be done on Li-ion batteries to make them suitable for a battlefield. Nevertheless, the efficiency of having to carry around a battery pack is still unfavorable, thus the usage of MR fluid is still debatable. 6 Rebecca Arnold I-Hui Lin [16] (2011). “Safe Guard http://www.safeguardarmor.com/ hampers the wearer less, giving them more freedom of movement. There are other body armor fibers other than Kevlar ®, but with all of the positive properties of Kevlar®, it is hard to beat. For instance, SVM fiber has a higher energy capacity than Kevlar® fiber, but Kevlar® is much cheaper. It’s not just a “cheap” way out, however. Body armor infused with Kevlar® fiber will protect its wearer just as well as any more expensive fiber by optimizing its efficiency by adding in other components such as STF, or thermowelding. So, both economically and dependably speaking, Kevlar® vests are the smarter choice for use in body armor, and it has been for over 30 years [16]. Armor.” [Online]. Available: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES “How Kevlar and Spectra Shield are the Best Bulletproof Vest Materials.” Article. BulletProofVestShop.com. [Online]. Available: http://www.bulletproofvestshop.com/pages/How-Kevlar-and-SpectraShield-are-the-Best-Bulletproof-Vest-Materials.html “Specification for Bullet Proof Jackets.” Technical Guide. SJVN. [Online]. Available: http://sjvn.nic.in/tenders/pcd/ppr1594/jacket-spec.pdf N. Yip, D. Wieand. (2008, May). “Kevlar (poly-para-phenylene terephthalamide ).” Chem Polymer Project. [Online]. Available: https://chempolymerproject.wikispaces.com/Kevlar-E-nydw “Kevlar” Kevlar and Nomex Fibres. [Online]. Available: http://ffden2.phys.uaf.edu/212_fall2003.web.dir/adam_caswell/page1.htm C. Woodford. (2009, December) “Kevlar®.” Explain That Stuff. [Online]. Available: http://www.explainthatstuff.com/kevlar.html ***(2001, April). “Aramid Fibers.” [Online]. Available: http://www.chem.uwec.edu/Chem405_S01/malenirf/project.html (2000, July) “Polymer Chemistry – Mechanical Properties.” [Online]. Available: http://faculty.uscupstate.edu/llever/Polymer%20Resources/Mechanical.htm #elongation “Thermal Conductivity.” Wikipedia. [Online]. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_conductivity REFERENCES [1] K. Carson. (2006, March 7). “Survivors’ Club Recognizes 3000th Law Enforcement Officer Saved by Protective Vest.” Du Pont. [Online] Available: http://www2.dupont.com/Kevlar/en_US/assets/downloads/3000th_Save_Ev ent_Final_press_release.doc [2] “Stepnie L. Kwolek.” Article. Chemical Heritage. [Online]. Available: http://www.chemheritage.org/discover/chemistry-inhistory/themes/petrochemistry-and-synthetic-polymers/syntheticpolymers/kwolek.aspx [3] (2001, April). “Aramid Fibers.” [Online]. Available: http://www.chem.uwec.edu/Chem405_S01/malenirf/project.html [4] V.S. Matveev, G.A. Budnitskii, G.P. Mashinskaya, L.B. Aleksandrova, and N.M. Sklyarov. (1997, November 6). “Structural and Mechanical Characteristics of Aramid Fibres for Bullet- Proof Vests” Fibre Chemistry. [Online].Available: http://www.springerlink.com/content/d342r2316w58rn42/fulltext.pdf [5] Z. Stempień. (2010). “Effect of Velocity of the Structure-Dependent Tension Wave Propagation on Ballistic Performance of Aramid Woven Fibres.” Technical University of Lodz, Dpt. Of Clothing Technology and Textronics. [Online]. Available: http://www.fibtex.lodz.pl/pliki/Fibtex_ (ltrioclm0s1oemux).pdf [6] Welcome to Kevlar, 2011. Du Pont. [Online] Available: http://www2.dupont.com/Kevlar/en US/index.html [7] A. V. Volokhina, A. M. Shchetinin. (2001). “Creation of High-Strength, Heat and Fire Resistant Sythetic Fibers.” Fibre Chemistry. [Online]. Available: http://www.springerlink.com/content/w12h3423j3075h48/fulltext.pdf [8] "Kevlar—Putting it all together." Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. http://www.lbl.gov/MicroWorlds/Kevlar/KevlarPutting.html [9] L. Clements. (1998). “Organic Fibres.” Handbook of Composites. [Online].Available: http://www.scribd.com/doc/54513527/21/CONCLUSIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to give special thanks to the writing center, our Co-Chair Julie Ramone for helping us format our paper and giving us new ideas. We would also like to thank Eugene Wagner for giving us helpful information during class lecture. Lastly, we would especially like to thank our Chair person, Rob Boback for giving us his time and advice. [10] S.B. Warner. (1982, December). “On the Radial Structure of Kevlar.” Macromolecules. [Online]. Available: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/ma00243a025 [11] Hong-Ting Zhang. (2011, December). “Comparison and Analysis of Thermal Degradation Process of Aramid Fibers (Kevlar 49 and Nomex).” Journal of Fiber Bioengineering and Informatics. [Online]. Available:http://www.jfbi.org/admin/Issue/JEBI%20Vo1%203,%20No.%2 03.%20December%202010_201191185819_paper.pdf [12] “Zylon ○ R Fiber.” C.S.R. Incorporated. [Online]. Available: http://csrbraids.com/index.php/zylon-fiber.html [13] “Specification for Bullet Proof Jackets.” Technical Guide. SJVN. [Online]. Available: http://sjvn.nic.in/tenders/pcd/ppr1594/jacket-spec.pdf [14] Tracy V. Wilson. (2007, February). “How Liquid Body Armor Works.” How StuffWorks.com. [Online] Available: http://science.howstuffworks.com/liquid-body-armor.htm [15] E.Wagner. (2012, Feb.28). General Chemistry II. [Lecture]. 7