Development of flexible, fluid-buffered multi-layered architectural materials with excellent protective performance for high-pressure water jet work

High-pressure water jets (HPWJ) are essential for industrial cleaning but pose significant safety risks to operators. Our previous research introduced a fiber-filled elastomer that improved protection; however, achieving a high level of dexterity alongside extreme penetration resistance remained a critical challenge. This study proposes a novel multi-layered architectural material designed to overcome this trade-off. The developed material consists of a non-bonded multi-layered structure of high-strength fiber-reinforced elastomers, incorporating fluid-buffered layers between the sheets. The non-bonded architecture allows for independent interlayer sliding, resulting in a 7.4-fold increase in flexibility compared to conventional protective materials. Simultaneously, the fluid-buffered layers effectively dissipate the concentrated impact energy of the jet, achieving an excellent improvement in protective performance (up to 500 times higher penetration resistance). These results demonstrate that the synergy between the fiber-reinforced layers and the fluid-buffered mechanism provides a breakthrough in safety and ergonomic comfort. This multi-layered architectural design offers a highly practical and effective solution for next-generation protective equipment in high-pressure water jet environments.