Aramid Fibre Composites for Ballistic Impact Protection: A Mechanistic Review of Recent Advances

Abstract

Lightweight and high-performance armour materials critically rely on aramid fibres to maximize protection, mobility, ease of processing and cost. This review synthesizes mainly the recent advancements across reinforcement architectures (UD, 2D woven, stitched, and 3D woven), hybrid concepts (with UHMWPE, glass, carbon, basalt, metals and ceramics), nano/coating modifications (CNTs, graphene derivatives, oxides), shear-thickening fluid treatments and influence of matrix on ballistic performance of aramid fibre composites. A mechanism-driven perspective is presented, establishing direct correlations between material modifications, energy absorption and damage mechanisms such as delamination, matrix crack deflection, fibre tensile rupture, cone formation and shear plugging. The corresponding mechanisms of all recent innovative enhancement strategies have been emphasized and interpreted to offer actionable insights for design optimization. Practical recommendations are proposed to enhance ballistic limit velocity and reduce back face signature for each strategy. This study proposes, multiscale hybridization at material and structural level to induce multiple damage mechanisms for enhancement of specific energy absorption to reduce armour mass. The novelty of this work is its exhaustive mechanistic synthesis, which not only summarizes the current state of the art but also establishes unified, mechanism-informed design strategies to guide the future generation of sustainable, low cost and lightweight ballistic protection systems.