Advance understanding of the structure-property-process relationships in novel impact mitigating materials

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded a $197,883 Cooperative Agreement to North Carolina State University (NC State) under the Measurement Science and Engineering (MSE) Research Grant Programs (CFDA 11.609). The purpose of this 2-year award is to advance the understanding of structure-property-process relationships in novel impact mitigating materials, which have important applications in sports, military, and law enforcement protective equipment.

Through this research, NC State will conduct four key activities: 1) advancing metrology for in-situ mechanical spectroscopy to characterize shear thickening fluids, 2) utilizing high-speed ultrasound imaging to understand the formation of shear jamming fronts, 3) performing drop-tower experiments for novel composite material designs, and 4) examining residual stress effects on impact mitigation in these composite materials. The overarching expected outcome is a clearer understanding of how incorporating novel materials like shear thickening fluids can affect the performance of impact mitigating materials, along with establishing new characterization methods. This information will be shared with the broader community through research presentations, publications, and data releases, ultimately benefiting users of protective equipment.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to advance understanding of the structure-property-process relationships in novel impact mitigating materials. These materials are important for such fields as sports, military, and law enforcement protection.

Activities

Through this research, four specific activities will be conducted. These are advancing metrology for in-situ mechanical spectroscopy to characterize shear thickening fluids (STF) for use in protective applications, utilize high speed ultrasound imaging of impact experiments to understand the formation of shear jamming fronts, perform drop-tower (close to real world) experiments for novel composite material designs, and examine residual stress in these composite materials to better understand its effect on impact mitigation.

Expected outcomes

The overarching expected outcome of this work is a clearer understanding of how the incorporation of novel materials such as shear thickening fluids into impact mitigating materials can affect their performance, and the establishment of new metrologies to assess these materials. This information will be shared with the broader community through research presentations, publications, and release of relevant data. The information gleaned from this work may have implications for the design of materials for use in armor, aerospace, automotive, and protective applications.

Intended beneficiaries

Users of protective equipment may benefit from this work, as more efficient material design can result from the information and data developed through this proposal. This could result in lighter, safer armor materials for use by law enforcement and military users, and more effective sports protective gear for use by the general public.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.