High strain rate properties of aramid and polyethylene woven fabric composites

In this paper, the influence of the strain rate on the mechanical properties of aramid and polyethylene woven fabric composites is studied from tensile measurements provided by a Hopkinson bar and conventional testing machines. A detailed description of the experimental technique includes a critical discussion of the points related to the reliability and confidence of the data obtained. On the other hand, the experimental results indicate that strain rate influences significantly the values of the longitudinal tensile strength and failure strain of the composites tested. Some differences are also observed between the static and dynamic stress-strain curves.