Are Airbags Made Out of Kevlar?

No—most automotive airbags are not made out of Kevlar. The vast majority of airbag cushions are woven from high‑tenacity nylon 6,6, with some curtain airbags using polyester; many are silicone‑coated to withstand hot deployment gases and control permeability. Kevlar (an aramid fiber) is rarely used for the cushion itself, though aramid materials may appear in limited, localized components or niche applications.

What Modern Airbags Are Made Of

Airbag systems are engineered to inflate in milliseconds, retain enough gas to cushion occupants, and then vent in a controlled way. The fabric has to be strong, tear‑resistant, and predictable under rapid loading, while also withstanding heat and abrasion during deployment.

Below are the most common materials and where they appear in contemporary automotive airbag modules.

• Nylon 6,6 fabric: The primary material for driver, passenger, knee, side, and many curtain airbag cushions due to high strength, good elongation, and consistent performance.
• Polyester fabric: Increasingly used in long curtain airbags (that protect heads across multiple rows) for its dimensional stability and moisture resistance.
• Silicone or similar coatings: Applied to many cushions to resist hot gases during deployment and to tune air permeability and abrasion resistance.
• Sewing thread and tethers: Typically nylon or polyester; some manufacturers may use aramid thread or tapes in localized, high‑heat areas near the inflator outlet.
• Inflator filters and components: Commonly metal meshes and ceramics to cool and clean the gas; some designs can include nonwoven technical textiles, though metal is standard.

Taken together, these materials deliver the specific blend of strength, stretch, heat tolerance, and controlled venting needed for safe, repeatable deployments across a wide temperature range.

Why Kevlar Isn’t the Go‑To for Airbag Cushions

Kevlar is renowned for ballistic armor and high‑strength composites, but those strengths don’t align perfectly with what airbag cushions require. Several practical and performance factors keep nylon and polyester in front.

1. Cost and manufacturability: Aramid fibers are significantly more expensive and harder to process at scale than nylon, raising costs without clear safety benefits for mainstream airbags.
2. Elongation and deployment dynamics: Airbags benefit from controlled stretch to absorb energy; aramids have relatively low elongation, which can alter cushion dynamics and occupant loading.
3. Permeability tuning: Airbag fabrics need carefully managed porosity and venting; established nylon/polyester weaves and coatings make this easier and more consistent.
4. Thermal needs met by coatings: Silicone and related coatings on nylon fabrics handle the heat of deployment and reduce fabric abrasion without needing an inherently high‑temperature fiber.
5. Supply chain and proven performance: Decades of validation, global supply, and one‑piece woven (OPW) manufacturing techniques are centered on nylon and polyester.

In short, Kevlar’s premium properties don’t translate into a measurable safety advantage for typical airbag cushions, while they do add cost and processing complexity.

When Aramids Do Show Up

Although the cushion itself is rarely aramid, you may find aramid fibers (including Kevlar) in very specific roles where their heat resistance or localized strength is useful.

Here are examples of where aramids can appear around airbag systems.

• Localized reinforcement: Aramid threads, tapes, or patches in high‑thermal or high‑stress zones, such as near inflator outlets or around tear seams.
• Specialized filtering or shielding: Some designs may incorporate aramid felt or fabrics as part of thermal shielding or gas management, though metals and ceramics are more common.
• Niche or extreme‑duty applications: Certain prototypes, specialty vehicles, or non‑automotive safety inflatables may experiment with aramids, but these are not mainstream passenger‑car cushions.

These limited uses leverage aramid strengths where they matter most, without incurring the cost and trade‑offs of making the entire cushion from Kevlar.

How the Industry Has Evolved

From Coated Nylon to One‑Piece Woven (OPW)

Early airbags relied on coated nylon fabrics and multi‑panel sewing. Modern designs increasingly use OPW loom technology that weaves complex shapes and internal chambers directly into the fabric, reducing seams, weight, and variability. Coatings remain common to manage heat and permeability, even as inflator chemistries have moved away from older azide‑based systems.

Curtain Airbags and Polyester

Long curtain airbags, which deploy along the roofline to help protect occupants’ heads in side impacts and rollovers, often use polyester fabric for its stability, lower moisture uptake, and suitability in cold‑weather deployments. Nylon 6,6 still dominates overall, but polyester has a firm foothold in these specific applications.

Bottom Line

Kevlar is not the standard material for airbag cushions. Automakers overwhelmingly use nylon 6,6 and, in some cases, polyester—often with silicone coatings—because these materials provide the right balance of strength, stretch, heat tolerance, and cost for reliable real‑world performance.

Summary

Most airbags are made from woven nylon 6,6 (and sometimes polyester), not Kevlar. Coatings like silicone handle heat and permeability. Aramids may appear in small, localized roles or niche designs, but they are not the mainstream choice for the airbag cushion itself due to cost, manufacturability, and performance trade‑offs.

Are airbags bulletproof?

Airbags are designed to deploy quickly and create a large cushioning effect, which could potentially stop a bullet. However, it is not always possible for an airbag to successfully stop a bullet, and it would depend on the specific situation.

What material are airbags made of?

Airbags are made from a strong, flexible woven fabric, most commonly Nylon 6.6, which is then sealed with a coating like silicone to make it airtight and protect against heat. Other synthetic materials like polyester or other nylon variants are sometimes used, chosen for their high strength-to-weight ratio and ability to withstand extreme temperatures.
 
Material Properties & Purpose

• Woven fabric: The base material is a specially woven fabric, often one piece, designed for high strength and flexibility. 
• Nylon 6.6: This is the most common material due to its excellent energy absorption capabilities and high strength-to-weight ratio. 
• Coating: The woven nylon is coated with materials like silicone, which seals the fabric and makes it gas-impermeable and flame-resistant. 
• Heat resistance: The coating also helps protect the fabric from the high heat generated during inflation. 
• Durability: These materials ensure the airbag can inflate rapidly, withstand high forces, and deploy safely without tearing. 

Manufacturing Process 

1. Weaving: Computerized looms weave the nylon or polyester yarn into a high-density, one-piece fabric.
2. Inspection & Cleaning: The dense fabric is inspected, cleaned, and dried.
3. Coating: Liquid silicone is applied to the fabric and cured in an oven to seal it.
4. Cutting: A laser cuts the material into the correct airbag shape.
5. Assembly: Reinforcements and attachment tabs are sewn on using specialized machines.

Do airbags still work after 20 years?

Front airbags became mandatory on all new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. in 1998. Until 2002, Mercedes-Benz recommended replacing the airbags in its cars after 15 years. In 2002, the company’s research proved that airbags installed in cars built after 1992 didn’t need to be replaced.

Are airbags made of Kevlar?

The KPL-Series high-pressure air bags feature Kevlar® cord reinforcing. The patented construction utilises state-of-the-art design for long life and ease of use. Metal parts are solid brass.