Ballistic Resistant Composite Fabric

• US 20110129657A1
• Filed: 12/09/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Original Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates (W.L. Gore & Associates)
• Inventors: Clough, Norman
• Application Number:
  US12/964,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20110129657A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/219
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/20 All layers being fibrous or filamentary
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0269 Aromatic polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2571/02 defensive, e.g. armour plates, anti-ballistic clothing camouflage nets B32B2459/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/06 characterised by a fibrous or filamentary layer mechanically connected, e.g. by needling to another layer, e.g. of fibres, of paper
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/047 including aramid fibres
• CPC Class Codes: D02G 3/442 Cut or abrasion resistant yarns or threads
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 1/025 comprising high modulus, or high tenacity, polymer filaments or fibres, e.g. liquid-crystal polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2201/2014 Compound wires or compound filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2201/2036 characterised by the use of different wires or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2201/2041 characterised by the materials used
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/2014 High performance polyolefins, e.g. Dyneema or Spectra
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/205 Aramides
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/2071 Fluor resins
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2205/2096 Poly-p-phenylenebenzo-bisoxazole [PBO]
• CPC Class Codes: D07B 2801/10 Smallest filamentary entity of a rope or strand, i.e. wire, filament, fiber or yarn
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/0211 high-strength or high-molecular-weight polyethylene, e.g. ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene [UHMWPE]
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2321/042 polymers of fluorinated hydrocarbons, e.g. polytetrafluoroethene [PTFE]
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2331/021 : aromatic polyamides, e.g. aramides
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0485 : all the layers being only fibre- or fabric-reinforced layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249921 : Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component

Abstract

A ballistic resistant article comprising high strength Kevlar fibers and expanded PTFE fibers, wherein the article is a fabric further comprising a V₅₀ of greater than about 1420 ft/s (433 m/s) at a fabric weight of about 0.75 lb/ft² (3.7 kg/sq m) and a bending moment at room temperature of less than about 0.0008 N-m. A ballistic resistant article comprising high strength Spectra fibers and expanded PTFE fibers, wherein the article is a fabric further comprising a V₅₀ of greater than about 735 ft/s (224 m/s) at a fabric weight of about 0.75 lb/ft² (3.7 kg/sq m) and a bending moment at room temperature of less than about 0.0007 N-m.

Claims

1. An article comprising high strength fibers and expanded PTFE fibers wherein said article is a ballistic resistant fabric.

2. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said high strength fibers are para-aramid fibers and said ballistic resistant fabric has a V₅₀ of greater than about 433 m/s and a bending moment at room temperature of less than 0.0008 N-m.

3. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said fabric further comprises a UHMWPE fabric and a V₅₀ of greater than about 224 m/s and a bending moment at room temperature of less than 0.0007 N-m.

4. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said V₅₀ is at a fabric weight of about 3.7 kg/sq m

5. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein at least 5 percent of the weight of the fibers is comprised of ePTFE fibers.

6. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein at least 10 percent of the weight of the fibers is comprised of ePTFE fibers.

7. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said high strength fibers comprise UHMWPE fibers and said fabric has a durability of about 5,000,000 cycles.

8. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said high strength fibers comprise para-aramid fibers and said fabric has a durability of greater than about 100,000 cycles.

9. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said fibers comprise para-aramid fibers and said fabric has a durability of about 170,000 cycles or greater.

10. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said fibers comprise para-aramid fibers and said fabric has a durability of about 300,000 cycles or greater.

11. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said high strength fibers comprise para-aramid fibers and said fabric has a durability of about 350,000 cycles or greater.

12. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said fabric has a Frazier Number of at least 3.

13. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said fabric has a Frazier Number of at least 20.

14. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said fabric has a Frazier Number of at least 30.

15. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein said fabric has a Frazier Number of at least 60.

16. An article comprising a plurality of layers of fabric, at least one of said layers comprising high strength fibers and expanded PTFE fibers, wherein said article is a ballistic resistant fabric.

17. A method of improving the handleability of a ballistic resistant fabric comprising the step of incorporating into said fabric at least one fiber of expanded PTFE to produce a bending moment of said fabric of less than 0.0008 N-m.