KUALA LUMPUR: The news story below sounds interesting. Coconut husks as a replacement for kevlar. I will get more update on this.

Bernama.com
Malaysian National News Agency

UTeM Prof Wins Gold Award For Coconut Fibres Hybrid Composite Armour
General
May 22, 2007 17:31 PM

MELAKA, May 22 (Bernama) — A deputy dean with Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) has won a gold award at the 35th International Exhibitions of Inventions New Techniques and Products in Geneva.

Deputy Dean (Research and Postgraduate Studies) Prof Dr Md Dan Md Palil won the award in the security category for his “Coconut Fibres Hybrid Composite Armour (Deco Armour)”.

Md Dan, 52, said the composite armour using coconut fibre in the form of chopped strand mat, is to be used as a filler, sandwiched between kevlar and woven roving fibre glass.

He said waste bio-organic materials used as a filler in matrix materials to be made into hybrid composites have been merged as an alternative.

Most ballistic products use synthetic materials such as kevlar for reinforcement, he told reporters.