Sustainability Analysis of Polymers, Fibres and Nanomaterials for Ballistic Applications

In most cases, bulletproof vests do not give the desired total protection to the users; therefore, it would be more accurate to refer to them as "Bullet-resistant." Most vests comprise steel or ceramic plates covered in para-aramids or artificial high-performance fibres like Kevlar, Spectra, and Dyneema. Despite its high tensile strength, Kevlar also has disadvantages like poor compression strength, which makes it urgent to find alternatives to the materials used in bulletproof vests. With the recent advances in technology and innovation, many materials are used other than para-aramid fibres, like Kevlar, Spectra, and Dyneema. These include Graphene, which weighs less than paper yet is the most robust material ever. Natural fibres which are reinforced in the Kevlar polymer composite, carbon nanotube-polymer composites, Kenaf fibre, Cordura, ballistic nylon, TWIP (twinning induced plastic) steel, shear thickening fluid (STF) filled paper panels, etc. With so many alternatives to advanced materials used in ballistic applications, many researchers are researching the materials. However, it is still in research and development and not commercially available for military and other purposes.