Shear Thickening Fluid and Its Application in Impact Protection: A Review

Shear thickening fluid (STF) is a dense colloidal suspension of nanoparticles in a carrier fluid in which the viscosity increases dramatically with a rise in shear rate. Due to the excellent energy absorption and energy dissipation of STF, there is a desire to employ STFs in a variety of impact applications. In this study, a comprehensive review on STFs' applications is presented. First, several common shear thickening mechanisms are discussed in this paper. The applications of different STF impregnated fabric composites and the STF's contributions on improving the impact, ballistic and stab resistance performance have also been presented. Moreover, recent developments of STF's applications, including dampers and shock absorbers, are included in this review. In addition, some novel applications (acoustic structure, STF-TENG and electrospun nonwoven mats) based on STF are summarized, to suggest the challenges of future research and propose some more deterministic research directions, e.g., potential trends for applications of STF.

Automated summary

Shear thickening fluid (STF) is a dense colloidal suspension that exhibits a significant increase in viscosity under high shear rates. This study provides a comprehensive review of the application of STFs. It discusses various shear thickening mechanisms, the use of STF impregnated fabric composites to enhance impact resistance, and recent developments in using STF as dampers and shock absorbers. Additionally, novel applications such as acoustic structures, STF-TENG, and electrospun nonwoven mats are summarized, along with suggestions for future research directions and potential trends for STF applications.