Improving stab-resistant textile materials with a non-woven fabric structure

Abstract

In Japan, where a safe and secure society has been established, stab proof clothes that are suitable for police and security officers supporting are required. The current stab-protection clothing uses mainly metal plates, and there are various problems, such as weight and poor comfort. This study therefore seeks to improve the comfort of stabresistant clothing, clarify the mechanism of stab-resistant clothing, and optimize its structure to achieve low cost. The test equipment was developed in this study. We attached a knife to the tip of an air cylinder. This device penetrates a sample, and the load and displacement can be measured. A sharp instrument such as an ice pick penetrates a sample easily because it passes between the fibers of the textile. Therefore, we suggested using a textile with a nonwoven fabric structure so that the instrument would strike the fiber. Experiments revealed that non-woven fabric has considerably higher stab resistance than other fabrics.