Tensile strength, peel load, and static puncture resistance of laminated composites reinforced with nonwoven fabric

Nonwoven fabrics were used as reinforcement to laminated composites to improve the mechanical properties and damage behaviors. The needle-punched Kevlar/LMPET nonwoven interlayer and two TPU covers were combined via thermal bonding to form the laminated composites. Tensile strength, peel load, and static puncture resistance of the laminated composites were evaluated in terms of needle punching rate and depth of the nonwoven interlayer. Results showed that tensile strength and static puncture resistance depended on the needle punching depth, primarily on the tangled fiber points. The peel load was dependent on the needle punching rate, especially on the resulting melted LMPET fibers. The laminated composites exhibited desirable tensile properties, peel load, and static puncture resistance.