Numerical and experimental analysis of ballistic performance in hybrid soft armours composed of para-aramid triaxial and biaxial woven fabrics

This article presents the results of numerical and experimental research on the ballistic performance of soft packages composed of biaxial and triaxial fabrics in various hybrid configurations. The main objective of these studies was to prove the hypothesis that a hybrid package composed of biaxial fabrics, on the impact side of a projectile, and triaxial fabrics, on the backside, exhibits greater ballistic efficiency than a package entirely composed of biaxial or triaxial fabrics. The research was conducted by shooting packages consisting of 30 layers of fabrics using a Parabellum 9 × 19 full metal jacket projectile, with a striking velocity of 380 m/s, after placing the packages on a Roma No.1 plasticine substrate. The analysis involved the deformation depth of the plasticine substrate and the perforation ratio of the packages. Optimisation studies revealed that the optimal package configuration should consist of 9 layers of biaxial fabrics on the projectile impact side and 21 layers of triaxial fabrics on the backside, indicating a biaxial to triaxial fabric ratio of approximately 1:3.