Ballistic impact into fabric and compliant composite laminates

The development of tough, high-strength, high-modulus fibers has led to the use of fabrics and compliant composite laminates for a number of impact-related applications, such as turbine blade containment, fuselage protection and body armor. Numerous studies have been conducted to identify material properties and system mechanisms that are important to the performance of these ballistic textiles. The current paper presents a review of the factors that influence ballistic performance; specifically, the material properties of the yarn, fabric structure, projectile geometry and velocity, far field boundary conditions, multiple plies and friction. Each physical mechanism is described in detail, and original references are cited to allow further investigation.