Ballistic performance of ZnO nanorods-reinforced aramid sateen fabric for soft body armor

On the battlefield, soft body armor is particularly critical against threats from bullets and shrapnel. The zinc oxide nanorod reinforced fabrics investigated in this study may be a novel method to increase the ballistic performance. In this study, ZnO nanorods were grown on the surface of aramid sateen fabric with thread density of 13 ends/cm using a low temperature (86 °C) hydrothermal method for bullet proof applications. It was proven by SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS that ZnO nanorods can be successfully grown on the sateen fabric, with an average length of 837.8 ± 143 nm and an average thickness of 222.7 ± 28.7 nm. Tests indicated that the mechanical and physical comfort properties of the ZnO nanorods sateen fabric (S-13-ZnO-NR) were significantly enhanced. Specifically, the inter-yarn friction in the warp and weft directions increased by 3.23 times and 4.49 times, respectively, and its moisture permeability was improved further with more layers. The results of consecutive ballistic impact with six shots demonstrate that the average Backface Signature (BFS) value of S-13-ZnO-NR is merely 25.7 mm, representing a 17.5% reduction compared to the 31.3 mm of the unmodified satin fabric (S-13-U). Notably, under oblique impact conditions, the BFS value of S-13-ZnO-NR reaches its minimum, being less than 25 mm. Considering these combined advantages, S-13-ZnO-NR exhibits significant application potential in the field of soft body armor.