Ballistic-resistant composite article

• US 4,748,064 A
• Filed: 12/09/1985
• Issued: 05/31/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alliedsignal Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Allied Corp. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Palley, Igor, Kavesh, Sheldon, Harpell, Gary A., Prevorsek, Dusan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Application Number:
  US06/825,039
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 428/911, 428/105, 428/113, 428/114, 428/260, 428/263, 428/265, 428/284, 428/294, 428/295, 428/289, 428/290, 428/245, 428/902, 428/255, 428/297, 428/229, 428/232, 2/25
• US Class Current: 428/113
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/28 impregnated with or embedded in a plastic substance not used
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/04 Reinforcing macromolecular compounds with loose or coherent fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0485 all the layers being only fibre- or fabric-reinforced layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/902 High modulus filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/911 Penetration resistant layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24124 Fibers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24132 including grain, strips, or filamentary elements in different layers or components parallel
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3041 Woven fabric comprises strips or ribbons only
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/643 Including parallel strand or fiber material within the nonwoven fabric

Abstract

The present invention provides an improved, composite article of manufacture which comprises a network of fibers having a tensile modulus of at least about 500 grams/denier and an energy-to-break of at least about 22 Joules/gram. An elastomeric matrix material having a tensile modulus of less than about 6,000 psi, measured at 25° C.

Claims

1. A composite article of manufacture comprising a network of fibers having a tensile modulus of at least about 500 g/denier and an energy-to-break of at least about 22 J/g in a matrix of an elastomeric material which has a tensile modulus (measured at 25°

C.) of less than about 6,000 psi (41,300 kPa).

2. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said fibers are polyethylene fibers having a tensile modulus of at least about 1000 g/denier and an energy-to-break of at least 50 J/g.

3. An article as recited in claim 2 wherein said fiber have a tensile modulus of at least about 1300 g/denier and an energy-to-break of at least about 55 J/g.

4. An article as recited in claim 1 wherein said network of fibers comprises a sheet-like fiber array in which said fibers are arranged substantially parallel to one another along a common fiber direction.

5. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said network of fibers comprises a non-woven fabric.

6. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said network of fibers comprises a woven fabric.

7. A composite article as recited in claim 1, wherein the volume fraction of said fibers is at least about 0.5.

8. A composite article as recited in claim 1, wherein the volume fraction of said fibers is at least about 0.7.

9. A composite article as recited in claim 1, wherein the volume fraction of said fibers is at least about 0.75.

10. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric matrix material comprises an elastomer having a glass transition temperature of less than about 0°

C.

11. An article as recited in claim 10, wherein said elastomer has a glass transition temperature of less than about -40°

C.

12. An article as recited in claim 10, wherein said elastomer has a glass transition temperature of less than about -50°

C.

13. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric matrix material has tensile modulus of less than about 5,000 psi.

14. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric matrix material has a tensile modulus of less than about 1,000 psi.

15. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric matrix material has a tensile modulus of less than about 500 psi.

16. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said fibers have a tenacity of at least about 15 g/denier.

17. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said fibers are polypropylene fibers having a tenacity of at least about 8 grams/denier.

18. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said fibers are aramid fibers.

19. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said fibers are polyvinyl alcohol fibers.

20. An article as recited in claim 1 comprising a plurality of networks each of said networks comprising a sheet-like array of said fibers in which said fibers are aligned substantially parallel to one another along a common fiber direction.

21. An article as recited in claim 20, wherein the fiber alignment directions in selected networks are rotated with respect to the alignment direction of another layer.

22. An article as recited in claim 1 wherein said fibers are coated with an elastomeric material having a modulus of less than about 6000 psi.

23. An article as recited in claim 20, wherein said networks are consolidated together with a binder composed of a non-elastomeric material.

24. An article as recited in claim 22, wherein said coated fibers are in the form of yarn and a plurality of the yarns are arranged to form the network.

25. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said network of fibers is comprised of dissimilar fibers having different compositions.

26. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material consists essentially of a polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene, tri-block copolymer.

27. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material consists essentially of a polystyrene-polyethylene/butylene-polystyrene tri-block copolymer.

28. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said elastomeric material consists essentially of a crosslinked polyisoprene.

29. An article as recited in claim 1, wherein said fibers comprise polyethylene strips.

30. An article as recited in claim 29, wherein said strips are woven to form said network.