The effect of fiber meso/nanostructure on the transverse compression response of ballistic fibers

Published Date
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
March 2017, Vol.94:133–145, doi:10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.12.003

• Author 

• Preston B. McDaniel ^a,b,,
• Subramani Sockalingam ^a,c
• Joseph M. Deitzel ^a
• John W. Gillespie Jr. ^a,b,c,d
• Michael Keefe ^a,b
• Travis A. Bogetti ^e
• Daniel T. Casem ^e
• Tusit Weerasooriya ^e

• aCenter for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, DE, USA
• bDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Delaware, DE, USA
• cDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, DE, USA
• dDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, DE, USA
• eUS Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, MD, USA

Received 13 July 2016. Revised 30 November 2016. Accepted 2 December 2016. Available online 5 December 2016. 

Abstract

The goal of this research is to understand the effect of fiber meso/nanostructure on the macroscopic quasi-static transverse compression response of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) Dyneema SK76 fibers. These fibers exhibit nonlinear inelastic behavior with a small elastic limit and negligible elastic recovery upon unloading. Finite element model predictions of the experiment, using a continuum nonlinear inelastic constitutive description agree reasonably well with experimental force-displacement, but under-predict the contact area. The apparent fiber cross-sectional area is found to increase up to a maximum of 1.83 times the original area at 46% nominal strain. SEM and AFM images of the meso/nanostructure of the compressed fibers indicate the apparent area growth is due to fibrillation. This fibrillation results in the deformation of a fibril network causing non-uniform fibril nesting and nucleation of new nanoscale voids between fibrils. A comparison of UHMWPE and Kevlar KM2 fiber transverse compressive response is also discussed.

Keywords

Polymer (textile) fibers

Nano-structures

Mechanical testing

Finite element analysis (FEA)

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author at: Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, DE, USA.
  
  

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