Basalt Fabric as a Superior Reinforcement for Low-Velocity Impact Protection

In the current combat warfare scenario where weapons keep evolving into more lethal forms capable of catastrophic destruction and annihilation, armor systems have become an indispensable counter-measure. Fabricating improved armor with light-weight and high-strength materials has thus become a matter of utmost importance. Polymer matrix composites reinforced with high-performance fibers are a great alternative to heavier metallic or ceramic laminates as they provide appreciable protection without any compromise on the agility and speed in a battlefield. Over the last decade or so, there has been extensive research on several grades of Glass/Epoxy and Aramid/Epoxy systems for use in personal protection and vehicle armor systems. Through this study, we aim to provide an alternative to conventional reinforcement with lighter, greener and more durable, basalt fibers. Epoxy matrix composite laminates prepared with E-Glass, Kevlar, Basalt and S-glass as reinforcement were compared for mechanical properties using a universal testing machine as well as for low-velocity impact performance via. instrumented drop-weight tester. Failure analysis of laminates post-impact were carried out through infra-red thermography followed by stereo-microscopy. Basalt reinforced laminates performed better than Kevlar and Glass reinforced laminates. The Basalt/Epoxy laminates were found to provide significant improvement in terms of energy absorption and damage tolerance.