Investigation of production methods and mechanical efficiency of composite materials used in armor construction

It is emphasized in many R&D studies and academic studies that the materials used in the construction of personal ballistic protectors, one of the important branches of the defense industry, are selected from materials with high strength values, flexibility and low density. Considering these features, composite materials have an important place among the materials widely used in armor construction. Bomb Expert Suits, designed and produced using composite systems, are personal ballistic protectors that protect Bomb Experts from the effects of explosions in asymmetric warfare, operations and suspicious package intercepts. This suit must be flexible and have high protective properties that can easily change the Bomb Specialist's physical movements, thermal and mental states and working skills to a minimum level. It has been understood that the results of the studies of Bomb Experts actively working in the field, literature research and manufacturer companies have emerged. In this study, it was understood as a result of the research that Aramid fiber, Glass fiber and Carbon fiber, which are fiber reinforced composite materials used in armor making, can be used in ballistic applications and have properties that can be used in Bomb Expert Suit. It is aimed to examine the performance and development of materials in ballistic applications in the light of experimental studies as well as theoretical information, and as a result, to produce a needed material suitable for today's ballistic conditions. For this reason, the EOD 9 model Bomb Expert Suit, produced by the Canadian Med-Eng Company, used by the Bomb Disposal and Investigation Branch of the Criminal Department of the General Directorate of Security, was procured and its design and material structure were physically examined. viii As a result of the examinations, it was observed that the EOD 9 Bomb Specialist Suit provides ballistic properties with 22 pieces of 0.25 mm thick, plain woven, Kevlar brand Aramid fiber materials in heat-resistant fabric covers. The medium size EOD 9 model suit, consisting of main parts such as jacket, integrated crotch protector, trousers with back protector, ballistic helmet and visor, weighs approximately 40 kg with other equipment such as cooling equipment, CBRN equipment and ventilation unit. For this reason, in order to make the dress flexible and lighten by preserving or improving the existing strength properties, epoxy resin is used as matrix material, and six pieces of aramid fiber (plain woven, 245 g/m2) and glass fiber (plain woven, 200 g/m2) of the same thickness are used as fiber reinforcement elements. Six test samples with different alignments were produced by vacuum infusion method using materials (m2) and prepreg carbon fiber (twill woven, 245 gr/m2) material. Additionally, tensile and compression samples were produced from these materials and mechanical tests were performed. The produced samples were tested for their ballistic suitability by firing a pistol from a distance of 5 meters with a 9*19 mm cartridge under ballistic conditions and in line with NIJ (The US National Institute of Justice) standards. In addition, the part between the knee and the wrist of the trousers of the Bomb Specialist Suit was exposed to an explosion with 100 grams of C-4 plastic explosive with fragmentation effect at a distance of 1 meter, and the effects of the explosion on the trousers were examined.