Comprehensive Review of Endogenous and Exogenous Parameters Influencing Dynamic Stab Impact Performance in Protective Textiles and Fibrous Composite Materials

Dynamic stab resistance is a critical property for protective textiles and fibrous composites used in body armor and protective gear applications. This is also a very complex property that depends on various factors, including material properties, structural design, and external impact conditions. This review paper presents an in-depth investigation into the dynamic stab impact response and performance of textile and composite materials, focusing on the influences of various endogenous and exogenous parameters. Material-level factors, including material type and properties, fiber orientation, yarn density, textile architecture, chemical treatments, and coatings, are reviewed. In addition, the influence of external conditions, including impact velocity and energy, blade shape and type, impact condition, and impact angles on the stab resistance of the protective materials are discussed. The interplay of these factors significantly affects penetration resistance, energy absorption, and trauma mitigation. This paper further discusses different stab resistance testing methods and standards on various kinds of protective materials and relatively compared the efficiencies of each. Current challenges on flexibility versus protection and future research directions necessary to realize advances in protective textiles with dynamic stab resistance are debated. The present comprehensive analysis gives useful insights to engineers, manufacturers, researchers, and standard makers for selecting, developing, and testing protective textiles and fibrous composite materials with improved stab protection applications.