












































Microsoft Word - Popravljeno.docx


ISSN 2744-1741 
Defense and Security Studies  Original Research 
Vol. 4, January 2023, pp.8-14 
https://doi.org/10.37868/dss.v4.id222 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) that allows others 
to share and adapt the material for any purpose (even commercially), in any medium with an acknowledgement of the work's 
authorship and initial publication in this journal. 
 8 

 
 
Potential of natural fiber composite materials for bulletproof vest applications 
 
Ilham Rizqi Aminudin1*, Sovian Aritonang2  
1,2 The Republic of Indonesia Defense University, Faculty of Defense Technology, Motion Power Technology, Indonesia. 
 
 

*Corresponding author E-mail: ilham.aminudin@tp.idu.ac.id

Received Jan. 7, 2023 
Revised Jan. 12, 2023 
Accepted Feb. 21, 2023 

Abstract 
The bulletproof vest material that is often used is a composite material. 
Composites are a mixture of two or more material elements, with different 
mechanical properties, which aim to obtain new materials that have better 
mechanical properties than the constituent materials. One alternative mixture of 
materials in composite materials is to use natural fibers as a substitute for kevlar 
fibers. In Indonesia, which has a tropical climate, natural fibers are very easy to 
obtain from various kinds of plants found in Indonesia. Along with the many 
plants obtained, a lot of waste is also produced because of this. So research was 
conducted on the utilization of the potential of natural fibers for alternative 
composites. With the experimental method, from the results of the experiment, 
the results obtained from the five natural fibers that have been discussed, namely 
pineapple leaf fiber, water hyacinth fiber, bark fiber, hemp fiber, and bamboo 
fiber, only pineapple leaf fiber has not met the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 
standard, while the other four natural fibers have met the NIJ standard for 
bulletproof vests. 

© The Author 2023. 
Published by ARDA. 

Keywords: Natural fiber; composite for bulletproof vest; mechanical properties; 
ballistic test; composite alternatives  

1. Introduction 
One of the needs of Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel in the battlefield in addition to 
weapons to fight, TNI personnel also need personal protective equipment, one of the personal protective 
equipment that is often used on the battlefield is a bulletproof vest. Inside the bulletproof vest, there is a 
material coating the body that aims to reduce the amount of kinetic energy generated due to projectile 
penetration [1]. 

The bulletproof vest material that is often used is a composite material. Composites are a mixture of two or 
more material elements, with different mechanical properties, which aim to obtain new materials that have 
better mechanical properties than the constituent materials. Mechanical properties that can be improved are 
strength, flexibility, and low density [2]. 

Composites also have their advantages when compared to other alternative materials, such as being stronger, 
lighter, economical, and environmentally friendly [3]. One of the alternative mixture materials in composite 
materials is to use natural fibers as a substitute for kevlar fibers. In Indonesia, which has a tropical climate, 
natural fibers are very easy to obtain from various kinds of plants found in Indonesia. Along with the many 
plants obtained, a lot of waste is also produced because of this. Nisa's research [4] explained the potential to 
recycle natural materials for composite mixtures in body armor applications. From this research, it is known 
that various kinds of natural materials can be utilized as waste to be used as an alternative composite for 
bulletproof vest applications. 



 DSS Vol. 4, January 2023, pp.8-14 

9 

2. Research method 
This research focuses on descriptive qualitative research collecting existing experimental results and 
concluding what is the best result to be applied to bulletproof vests, while the natural materials to be discussed 
include bamboo fiber, hemp fiber, bark fiber, water hyacinth fiber, pineapple leaf fiber. 

For mechanical testing the standard used is ASTM and in ballistic tests using the National Institute of Justice 
(NIJ) 0108.01 Ballistic Resistant Protective Materials and NIJ 0101.06 Armor Protection Levels standards. 

Table 1. NIJ Standard Ballistic Protection [1,13] 

Level NIJ Standard Test Bullets Bullets Mass (g) Velocity (m/s) 

I 
0108.01 22 LRHV Lead 2.6 320 

0108.01 38 Special RN Lead 10.2 259 

IIA 
0101.06 9mm FMJ RN 8.0 373 

0101.06 0.40 s & W FMJ RN 11.7 352 

II 
0101.06 9mm FMJ RN 8.0 398 

0101.06 0.357 Magnum JSP 10.0 436 

IIIA 
0101.06 0.357 SIG FMJ FN 8.1 448 

0101.06 0.44 Magnum SJHP 15.6 436 

III 0101.06 7.62mm NATO FMJ 9.6 847 

IV 0101.06 0.30 Calibre M2 AP 10.8 878 

3. Results and discussion 
Results and discussion of the research that has been carried out, using experimental methods with mechanical 
tests and ballistic tests. 

3.1 Pineapple Leaf Fiber (PLF) 

One of the plants that thrive in Indonesia is pineapple fruit, the selling value of pineapple fruit in Indonesia is 
also very good, besides that, pineapple leaf waste has no selling value, so it can be called waste. The use of 
pineapple leaves itself has been much done, such as the use of pineapple leaf fibers for composite material 
mixtures.  

Like the research conducted by Rahmatullah, et al (2021) [5] in this study, particle composites composed of 
epoxy with reinforcement in the form of Hollow Glass Microsphere (HGM) and pineapple leaf fibers were 
used. The same percentage of matrix volume ratio and fiber, namely pineapple fiber 10%, epoxy resin 74% 
and HGM 16%, using a size of 15x15x2cm3, with thickness variations of 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm. With 
NIJ standard level IIA testing standards for test ammunition of 9 mm FMJ, nominal bullet mass of 8.0 g, 
minimum required bullet of velocity 365 m/s. 

Table 2. Mechanical Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fiber [6,15] 

Properties Tensile Strength (MPa) Elongation (%) Young’s Modulus(GPa) Hardness (HB) 

Pineapple 
Leaf Fiber 126.60 2.2 4.405 20.41 

From the test results of the test specimens in Figure 1 with thicknesses of 10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm, the 
results show that the bullet can penetrate the specimen with penetration depth values of 58 mm, 10 mm and 4 
mm, respectively. According to the NIJ 0101.06 standard, the bulletproof vest failure criteria seen from the 
penetration aspect should not exceed the thickness of the vest or should not penetrate the vest. It is concluded 
that pineapple leaf fiber still cannot meet the criteria to become an alternative material for bulletproof vests. 



 DSS Vol. 4, January 2023, pp.8-14 

10 

 
Figure 1. Ballistic Testing Results (a) 10mm Thickness (b) 15mm Thickness (c) 20mm Thickness [5] 

3.2 Water Hyacinth Fiber (WHF) 

Water hyacinth is a difficult-to-control aquatic weed that can live in rivers, swamps, and lakes. One alternative 
to utilizing it is as a composite material. In Hanafi’s research (2020) [3] water hyacinth is utilized as an 
alternative material for bulletproof vest composites. This research uses a volume fraction of 30% fiber, 70% 
polyester, and a mold with a size of 15 x 15 cm thickness of 10 mm. The ballistic test used a 4.5 mm caliber 
angina rifle with a shooting distance of 5 m. There are 2 variations used, namely specimen 1 unidirectional 
and layered fiber arrangement, and specimen 2 vertical and horizontal layered fiber arrangement. 

Tabel 3. Mechanical Properties of Water Hyacinth Fiber [7,14] 

Properties Tensile Strength (MPa) Elongation (%) Young’s Modulus (GPa) Hardness (HB) 

Water Hyacinth 
Fiber 11.4 40.2 0.443 133 

 
Figure 2. (a) vertical directional arrangement (b) vertical and horizontal multi-layered arrangement [3] 



 DSS Vol. 4, January 2023, pp.8-14 

11 

The results of ballistic testing on the test specimens, specimen 1 and specimen 2 have a panel condition that is 
not penetrated by bullets at a speed of 229.81 m/s at a distance of 5 m with a caliber of 4.5 mm. From these 
results, specimens 1 and 2 are included in the NIJ 0108.01 level I standard. 

3.3 Bark Fiber 

Similar to the previous salak is one of the fruits with high selling value in Indonesia, along with the salak 
fronds that are produced from each harvest into waste that has no selling value. One way to overcome this is 
by utilizing it as an alternative composite material for bulletproof vests. As in Kamal's research (2021) [8] this 
research uses volume fractions with specimen 1: 70% resin, 20% kevlar, 10% filler silicon carbide (SiC), 
silicon carbide (SiC) is a compound of silicon and carbon that when joined together forms an extremely hard 
ceramic that is widely used for applications that require high durability, such as car brakes, car clutches, and 
bulletproof vests, specimen 2: 70% resin, 10% filler (SiC), 10% salak frond fiber, 10% kevlar, specimen 3: 
70% resin, 10% filler (SiC), 10% salak frond fiber, 10% kevlar and AL 7075. For ballistic tests using NIJ 
standard 0101.06 level IIA and II with distances of 5 m, 10 m, 25 m, and 30 m, with a firing speed of 373 m/s 
at a distance of 25 m, and 398 m/s at a distance of 5 m. 

Tabel 4. Mechanical Properties of Bark Fiber [8] 

Properties Tensile Strength (MPa) Elongation (%) Young’s Modulus (GPa) Hardness (HB)

Bark Fiber 21.46 0.12 0.198 19.64 

 
Figure 3. Specimen Ballistic Testing [8] 

The results of ballistic testing of specimen 1 with a distance of 5 m and 10 m bullets penetrated the test 
specimen, while at a distance of 25 m and 30 m, the bullets fired did not penetrate the test specimen. It can be 
said that specimen 1 meets the NIJ level IIA standard. For specimen 2 from all testing distances the bullet 
successfully penetrated the test specimen, it can be said that specimen 2 does not meet the NIJ level IIA 
standard. As for specimen 3 at all distances the bullet did not penetrate the test specimen, so it can be said that 
specimen 3 meets the NIJ level IIA and II standards. It can be concluded that specimen 1: 70% resin, 10% 
filler silicon carbide (SiC) and 20% kevlar, complies with Standard NIJ level IIA and specimen 3: 70% resin, 
10% filler (SiC), 10% salak frond fiber, 10% kevlar and AL 7075, meets Standard NIJ level IIA and II. 

3.4 Hemp Fiber 

One of the basic ingredients of bulletproof vests is glass fiber. In Indonesia glass fiber material is still obtained 
from abroad. To minimize imported materials to reduce costs and increase, one way to find materials to 
replace glass fiber with minimal costs but with the same function, one material that is alternative to glass fiber 
for bulletproof vests is hemp fiber. Hemp fiber is the basic material for making paper and clothing. The 
advantage of jute fiber compared to glass fiber is that it is more environmentally friendly and affordable. Like 
the research conducted by Setyawan (2020) [10] which examined hemp fiber for bulletproof vests. The study 
used a mixture ratio of 70% epoxy and 30% jute fiber with 4 variations, namely specimen 1 woven, specimen 
2 horizontal, specimen 3 random specimens 4 tilted 45o with a specimen size of 20 x 20 cm. For ballistic tests 
using the NIJ 0108.01 standard caliber 38, speed 259 m/s with a distance of 10 m. 



 DSS Vol. 4, January 2023, pp.8-14 

12 

Tabel 5. Mechanical Properties of Hemp Fiber [9] 

Properties Tensile Strength (MPa) Elongation (%) Young’s Modulus (GPa) Hardness (HB)

Hemp Fiber 310-750 2-4 20-41 84.6 

 
Figure 4. (a) Webbing Specimen 1 (b) Horizontal Specimen 2 (c) Random Specimen 3 (d) Sloping 

Specimen 4 [10] 

 
Figure 5. Specimen After Ballistic Testing [10] 

The results of ballistic testing using the NIJ 0108.01 standard includes bullet deformation and whether or not 
the specimen is penetrated when hit by a bullet. In ballistic testing of the 4 specimens, no bullets penetrated 
the specimen, with the best result being specimen 1 in the form of webbing. It can be concluded that hemp 
fiber meets the NIJ 0108.01 level I standard. 

3.5 Bamboo Fiber 

The main material in making bulletproof vest material is steel with a high density, so the weight of the 
bulletproof material is high which causes users to be unable to move freely. Composites are materials 
consisting of two or more elements that have good mechanical properties and low density, so they can be used 
as an alternative to steel for bulletproof materials. Arman (2022) utilizes bamboo fiber as a bulletproof 
material with a mixed matrix of epoxy resin/hardener and the addition of 20ml ceramic granules, with a 
200mm x 100mm x 10mm mold. For ballistic testing using NIJ standard 0101.06 level IIA, with shooting 
distances of 2 m, 2.5 m, and 3 m. 



 DSS Vol. 4, January 2023, pp.8-14 

13 

Tabel 6. Mechanical Properties of Hemp Fiber Bamboo Fiber [12] 

Properties Tensile Strength (MPa) Elongation (%) Young’s Modulus (GPa) Hardness (HB)

Bamboo Fiber 206.2 29,2% 13.1 33

 
Figure 5. Bamboo Fiber Specimen After Ballistic Testing (a) 2 m (b) 2,5 m (c) 3 m [11] 

From the ballistic test results, it can be seen in Figure 5 that none of the bullets penetrated the test specimens, 
so it can be concluded that the test results have met the NIJ 01.01.06 standard regarding the depth of ballistic 
penetration of composite materials. 

3.6 Discussion 

From the results of the data that has been obtained from the studies that have been carried out, the five natural 
fibers used for alternative composites for bulletproof vest applications can be categorized as follows: 

Tabel 7. Classification of Natural Materials based on NIJ Standard 

Properties Velocity (m/s) NIJ Level Reference 

Pineapple Leaf 
Fiber (PLF) 365 - 

Rahmatullah, et 
al (2021) 

Water Hyacinth 
Fiber (WHF) 229.81 I 

Hanafi, et al 
(2020) 

Bark Fiber 398 IIA & II Kamal, et al (2021) 

Hemp Fiber 259 I Setyawan, et al (2020) 

Bamboo Fiber 373 IIA Arman, et al (2022) 

 

4. Conclusions 
From the results of the research and discussion above, it can be concluded that the use of natural fibers for 
alternative composites has been widely carried out to minimize the waste produced, at the same time natural 
materials for alternative composites are cheaper and environmentally friendly. Of the five natural fibers that 
have been discussed, namely pineapple leaf fiber, water hyacinth fiber, salak frond fiber, hemp fiber, and 
bamboo fiber, only pineapple leaf fiber has not met the NIJ standard, while the other four natural fibers have 
met the NIJ standard for bulletproof vest. So that it can be applied to composite materials for making 
bulletproof vests for Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) personnel. 



 DSS Vol. 4, January 2023, pp.8-14 

14 

Declaration of competing interest  
The authors declare that they have no any known financial or non-financial competing interests in any 
material discussed in this paper. 

Funding information  
No funding was received from any financial organization to conduct this research. 

 

References 
[1] Standard NIJ-0101.04, "Armor Protection Levels", U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of 

Justice, 2000. 
[2] A. Risky, R. Efendi, "Initial study of bamboo fiber-reinforced composite material with epoxy 

resin/hardener matrix as bulletproof material", Jurnal Teknik Mesin Indonesia, 17.2. 87-92. 2022. 
[3] B. Hanifi, Q. Iqbal, H. Purwanto, I. Syafa’at, "Effect of variation in water hyacinth (Eichhornia 

Crassipes) fiber arrangement with polyester resin as an alternative composite material for bulletproof 
vest", Majalah Ilmiah Momentum, 2020. 

[4] L. L. A. Nisa, M. TE. Manawan, "Study of the potential development of composite materials 
reinforced with natural materials to be applied as body armor" Jurnal Teknologi Daya Gerak 5.1, pp. 
71-82, 2022. 

[5] G. Rahmatullah, B. Mutiara, J. Rollastin, "Experimental study of pineapple leaf fiber reinforced 
composite materials in ballistic testing", Seminar Nasional Inovasi Teknologi Terapan, No. 01, 2021. 

[6] R. M. N. Arib, "Mechanical properties of pineapple leaf fibre reinforced polypropylene composites", 
Materials & Design, pp. 391-396, 2006. 

[7] M. Asrofi, "Mechanical properties of a water hyacinth nanofiber cellulose reinforced thermoplastic 
starch bionanocomposite: Effect of ultrasonic vibration during processing", Fibers, 2018. 

[8] K. R. Armando, M. A. Ghofur, "Ballistic Test Analysis of Salak Frond Fiber Composite with Epoxy 
Resin and Silicon Carbide (SiC) Using Vacuum Bag Method" Prosiding Seminar Nasional Sains 
Teknologi dan Inovasi Indonesia (SENASTINDO), Vol. 3, 2021. 

[9] A. Shahzad, "Hemp fiber and its composites - a review," Journal of composite materials, 46 (8), pp. 
973-986, 2012. 

[10] S. R. Teguh, S. Riyadi, "Analysis of hemp fiber structure variation of epoxy matrix composite on 
ballistic and bending test strength", Majalah Ilmiah Momentum, 16(2), 2020. 

[11] A. Risky, R. Efendi, "Initial study of bamboo fiber-reinforced composite material with epoxy 
resin/hardener matrix as bulletproof material," Jurnal Teknik Mesin Indonesia 17(2), pp. 87-92, 2022. 

[12]  Z. Li, C. P. Liu, T. Yu, "Laminate of reformed bamboo and extruded fiber-reinforced cementitious 
plate", Journal of materials in civil engineering, 14(5), pp. 359-365, 2002. 

[13]  Standard NIJ 0108.01, Ballistic Resistant Protective Materials, U.S. Department of Justice, National 
Institute of Justice, 1985. 

[14] N. H. Nawal et al, "Charpy impact behavior of water hyacinth fiber based polymer composite," 
Journal of Material Science & Manufacturing Technology, 2(2), pp. 1-13, 2017. 

[15] H. Sosiati, "Characterization of the mechanical features of nanas fiber/epoxic composite with addition 
of brass fibers and MGO as an alternative material for motorcycle brake shamps," Undergraduate 
Thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, 2018. 

[16]  A. B. Prabowo, "Analysis of the effect of hemp and fiberglass fiber with brass (Cu-Zn) grain 
variations mesh 40, 50, 60 on the hardness, wear, and coefficient of friction of brake linings”, 
Dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, 2019. 

[17] A. Gupta, "Effect of different parameters on mechanical and erosion wear behavior of bamboo fiber 
reinforced epoxy composites" International Journal of Polymer Science, 2011. 


