{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,8]],"date-time":"2026-10-08T22:27:41Z","timestamp":1791498461702,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1768521600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Council for Scientific and Technological Development\u2014Brazil","award":["150581\/2025-4"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["150581\/2025-4"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Polymers"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study presents the development and mechanical characterization of a full-scale helmet manufactured from a polyester matrix composite reinforced with woven jute fabric using vacuum infusion. Laminates with two and four reinforcement layers were produced and assembled using four joining configurations: seamless, stitched, bonded, and hybrid (bonded + stitched). Tensile tests were performed according to ASTM D3039, while frontal and lateral compression tests followed ABNT NBR 7471, aiming to evaluate the influence of laminate thickness and joining strategy on mechanical performance. In tension, the seamless configuration reached maximum loads of 0.80 kN (two layers) and 1.60 kN (four layers), while the hybrid configuration achieved 0.79 kN and 1.43 kN, respectively. Stitched and bonded joints showed lower strength. Under compression, increasing the laminate thickness from two to four layers reduced frontal elongation from 15.09 mm to 9.97 mm and lateral elongation from 13.73 mm to 7.24 mm, corresponding to stiffness gains of 50.3% and 87.3%, respectively. Statistical analysis (ANOVA\/Tukey, \u03b1 = 0.05) confirmed significant effects of thickness and joint configuration. Although vacuum infusion is a well-established process, the novelty of this work lies in its application to a full-scale natural-fiber helmet, combined with a systematic evaluation of joining strategies and a direct correlation between standardized tensile behavior and structural compression performance. The four-layer hybrid laminate exhibited the best balance between strength, stiffness, and deformation capacity.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/polym18020235","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T11:39:37Z","timestamp":1768563577000},"page":"235","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Development and Mechanical Characterization of a Jute Fiber-Reinforced Polyester Composite Helmet Produced by Vacuum Infusion"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9758-5989","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Robson Luis Baleeiro","family":"Cardoso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Materials Engineering Program, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Par\u00e1\u2014IFPA, Avenida Almirante Barroso, 1155, Marco, Bel\u00e9m CEP 66093-020, PA, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1878-6609","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maur\u00edcio Maia","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Par\u00e1\u2014IFPA, Estrada do Icu\u00ed Guajar\u00e1, Ananindeua CEP 67125-000, PA, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3897-8381","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Douglas Santos","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science, Military Institute of Engineering\u2014IME, Pra\u00e7a General Tib\u00farcio, 80, Praia Vermelha, Urca, Rio de Janeiro CEP 22290-270, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0959-0759","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ra\u00ed Felipe Pereira","family":"Junio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science, Military Institute of Engineering\u2014IME, Pra\u00e7a General Tib\u00farcio, 80, Praia Vermelha, Urca, Rio de Janeiro CEP 22290-270, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elza Monteiro","family":"Le\u00e3o Filha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Materials Engineering Program, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Par\u00e1\u2014IFPA, Avenida Almirante Barroso, 1155, Marco, Bel\u00e9m CEP 66093-020, PA, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1208-1234","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sergio Neves","family":"Monteiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Materials Science, Military Institute of Engineering\u2014IME, Pra\u00e7a General Tib\u00farcio, 80, Praia Vermelha, Urca, Rio de Janeiro CEP 22290-270, RJ, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9256-4564","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jean da Silva","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Materials Engineering Program, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Par\u00e1\u2014IFPA, Avenida Almirante Barroso, 1155, Marco, Bel\u00e9m CEP 66093-020, PA, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Iqbal, R.M., Ahammad, R., Arifuzzaman, M., Islam, M.S., and Islam, M.M. 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