Bae Systems Tensylon H.p.m., Inc.

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Joseph Mitchell

Kenneth C Harding

Gene C Weedon

Lisa Owen

Jeffrey A Mears

Fielder Stanton Lyons

Peter Anthony Russell

Erik Johnson

Wesley B Petrea

A ballistic-resistant panel in which the entire panel or a strike-face portion thereof is formed of a plurality of sheets of high modulus high molecular weight polyethylene tape. The sheets of high modulus polyethylene tape can be in the form of cross-plied laminated layers of tape strips or a woven fabric of tape strips. The strips of UHMWPE tape include a width of at least one inch and a modulus of greater than 1400 grams per denier. The ballistic-resistant panel may include a backing layer of conventional high modulus fibers embedded in resin. A wide variety of adhesives were found acceptable for bonding the cross-plied layers of high modulus polyethylene tape together for forming the ballistic-resistant panels of the present invention.

Ballistic-resistant panel including high modulus ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape

A non-fibrous, high tenacity, highly oriented UHMWPE tape or sheet of high molecular weight having a substantially large aspect ratio, a high tenacity, and a substantially higher tensile modulus. The UHMWPE tape includes an average molecular weight of 2,000,000 or greater, a width of &#xbd;-inch or greater, a thickness of between 0.0008 and 0.004 inch, and a modulus of between 1600 and 2500 grams per denier.

High modulus ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape

A ballistic resistant panel including a strike face portion and a backing portion. The strike face portion includes a plurality of interleaved layers of non-fibrous ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape. The backing portion includes a plurality of interleaved layers of cross-plied fibers of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. The entire stack of interleaved layers is compressed at high temperature and pressure to form a ballistic resistant panel having a strike face on one side. It has been found that ballistic resistance increases as the weight ratio of the strike face portion with respect to the backing portion decreases. A composite panel having a strike face Tensylon tape with at most 40% of the total weight of the panel exhibits improved ballistic resistance properties as compared to a monolithic structure of strictly interleaved layers of cross-plied high modulus fibers.

A ballistic-resistant molded article having a sandwich-type structure including two outer portions of a first high modulus material surrounding an inner portion of a second high modulus material. The outer portions are comprised of a plurality of interleaved layers of adhesive coated cross-plied non-fibrous ultra high molecular weight polyethylene tape. The inner portion is comprised of a plurality of interleaved layers of high modulus cross-plied fibers embedded in resin. The stack of interleaved layers is compressed at high temperature and pressure to form a hybrid sandwich ballistic-resistant molded article that includes a mix of high modulus materials. It has been found that ballistic resistance is higher for the hybrid structure than for a monolithic structure of comparable areal density.

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Charlotte, NC, United States of America

Joseph Mitchell