Perforation Investigations of Zylon Sheets

This investigation is concerned with the determination of the ballistic resistance of sheets of Zylon, a polymeric PBO fiber manufactured by Toyobo Company. The current application is intended to ascertain whether this material is suitable for body armor. Ten layers of this substance were stitched together, tightly emplaced in a specially constructed holder and subjected to impact by standard 9 mm NATO bullets. Resistance to perforation is represented by the bulk deformation of the sheets, as well as fiber damage. Thus, the ballistic limit of this fabric combination depended significantly on the impact position relative to the edges of the steel frame. The magnitude of this quantity for impact near the center was found to be of the order of 350 ± 10 m/s.