Cut resistance and failure of high-performance single fibers

The cut resistance of organic and inorganic high-performance single fibers has been studied. Several fiber types were examined, including Kevlar, Twaron, Vectran, Technora, Zylon, Dyneema, carbon fiber, and S-glass. Experiments were conducted using a custom-designed fixture that forces an industrial cutting blade laterally into a single fiber at varying blade and fiber angles. The effects of cutting angle and fiber type were explored, and the detailed progression of failure was inferred from post-failure imaging. All organic fibers demonstrated similar levels of cut resistance, with both organic and inorganic fibers showing less cut resistance as cutting angle is increased. Failure in the organic fibers was dominated by the anisotropic structure of the fibers. In contrast, isotropic, inorganic glass fibers demonstrated less cutting angle dependence and failed according to simple, localized brittle fracture. The inorganic fibers demonstrated higher average cut resistance than organic fibers, most likely due to their relative hardness and expected higher transverse mechanical properties.