The ballistic and quasi-static puncture resistance of 3D fabrics impregnated with novel shear thickening fluids and modeling quasi-static behavior using artificial intelligence

The present study deals with the chemical modification of polyethylene glycol (PEG) based on shear thickening fluids (STFs) and their application to improve the ballistic impact and quasi-static resistance performance of 3D E-glass fabrics. The carrier fluid (PEG 200) was modified with two different agents, oxalic acid and glutaric acid. The modified PEGs were then characterized by FTIR analysis. The rheological analysis of modified STF using glutaric (G/STF) and oxalic acid (O/STF) showed an improvement in peak viscosity by 10.33 and 3.28 times compared to pure STF (P/STF), respectively. Moreover, PEG modification resulted in higher chain length and a higher number of hydrophilic functional groups, representing superior media-particle interaction through abundant H-bonding. As a result of improved viscosity, the ballistic resistance and quasi-static performance of modified STF-treated fabrics were enhanced compared to that of P/STF-treated fabrics. A two-step artificial intelligence regression analysis was performed to predict quasi-static puncture resistance at different puncture speeds. The results showed a strong correlation between the load-deformation behavior and the loading speed.