Disruptive fibers and textiles for flexible protection

Disruptive fibers for flexible armor and related applications require high modulus, tenacity, and thermal/environmental stability. In organic fibers, high stiffness arises from high molecular orientation, often coupled with high crystallinity within the polymer chains. On the other hand, the strength and modulus of composite fibers reinforced with fillers are mainly due to the load carrying capacity of the filler through load transfer at the interface. Nanoparticle fillers can reinforce the polymer matrix and can also modify the crystallization of the polymer matrix by changing the morphology of the crystalline phase and/or by increasing the crystallization rate. Combined with high strength nanofillers, new processes and materials may provide routes for optimizing the conventional processing of low-cost commodity polymers, as alternatives to expensive polymers.