Influence of clamping methods on the ballistic performance of 3D shallow straight-joint woven fabrics

The interlaminar strength and designability of three-dimensional shallow straight-joint woven fabrics make them a promising material for personal protective armor. This study investigated the influence of clamping methods on the ballistic mechanism of three-dimensional shallow straight-joint woven fabrics. The study used a mesoscopic yarn-level full-size model developed based on the finite element method to analyze the energy absorption patterns, back face deformation, and damage morphology of the three-dimensional shallow straight-joint woven fabrics under different clamping methods. The results show that the clamping method has a significant influence on the ballistic performance of the fabric. With the weft-sides clamped, its ballistic limit velocity and failure morphology are similar to four-sides clamping, with more negligible energy absorption and failure area. Warp-sides clamped is second, while the corner held undergoes the maximum out-of-plane displacement and energy absorption, exhibiting an utterly different failure mechanism. This study shows that the clamping method of a fabric affects its ballistic performance through interaction with the fabric’s internal structure.