Ballistic Performance of Ramie Fabric Reinforcing Graphene Oxide-Incorporated Epoxy Matrix Composite

Graphene oxide (GO) incorporation in natural fiber composites has recently defined a novel class of materials with enhanced properties for applications, including ballistic armors. In the present work, the performance of a 0.5 vol % GO-incorporated epoxy matrix composite reinforced with 30 vol % fabric made of ramie fibers was investigated by stand-alone ballistic tests against the threat of a 0.22 lead projectile. Composite characterization was also performed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. Ballistic tests disclosed an absorbed energy of 130 J, which is higher than those reported for other natural fabrics epoxy composite, 74–97 J, as well as plain Kevlar (synthetic aramid fabric), 100 J, with the same thickness. This is attributed to the improved adhesion between the ramie fabric and the composite matrix due to the GO—incorporated epoxy. The onset of thermal degradation above 300 °C indicates a relatively higher working temperature as compared to common natural fiber polymer composites. DSC peaks show a low amount of heat absorbed or release due to glass transition endothermic (113–121 °C) and volatile release exothermic (~132 °C) events. The 1030 cm−1 prominent FTIR band, associated with GO bands between epoxy chains and graphene oxide groups, suggested an effective distribution of GO throughout the composite matrix. As expected, XRD of the 30 vol % ramie fabric-reinforced GO-incorporated epoxy matrix composite confirmed the displacement of the (0 0 1) peak of GO by 8° due to intercalation of epoxy chains into the spacing between GO layers. By improving the adhesion to the ramie fabric and enhancing the thermal stability of the epoxy matrix, as well as by superior absorption energy from projectile penetration, the GO may contribute to the composite effective ballistic performance.