Study on anti-stab resistance of aramid fabrics treated by sol-gel technology

High-quality anti-stabbing soft materials have attracted much attention. The soft aramid fabrics treated with zinc oxide sol-gel was studied for anti-stab application. Four hydrosols were made by controlling the concentration (0.015 mol/L and 0.03 mol/L) and aging time (0 h and 24 h). SEM analyses shows that the fabric with 0.03 mol/L + 24 h sol is much more covered with ZnO particles. The mechanical properties test includes yarn tensile properties, inter-yarn friction, fabric tensile properties and burst properties were also carried out. The fabric tensile strength is increased by 50–90% but the elongation is decreased by 30–50%. Both the inter-yarn friction and the burst properties of the fabric with 0.03 mol/L + 24 h sol are the best. Based on the mechanical properties test, the stab-resistance of the fabric 0.03 mol/L + 24 h sol is conducted according to the test standard of GA68-2019. Compared with the original fabric, the maximum penetration depth and the average one are reduced by 26.9% and 33.26%, respectively.