Ballistic fabric laminates

• US 6,846,758 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bhatnagar, Ashok, Tan, Chok Bin C.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDDOCK, ULA CORINNA
• Application Number:
  US10/126,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20030199215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 428/911, 442/134, 442/135, 442/181, 442/239, 442/246, 442/255, 442/261, 442/286, 442/290, 2/25
• US Class Current: 442/135
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/04 as impregnant, bonding, or embedding substance not used
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 5/0478 Fibre- or fabric-reinforced layers in combination with plastics layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/911 Penetration resistant layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2615 Coating or impregnation is resistant to penetration by solid implements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2623 Ballistic resistant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3472 Woven fabric including an additional woven fabric layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3528 Three or more fabric layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3602 Three or more distinct layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/365 At least one layer is a preformed synthetic polymeric film or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3854 Woven fabric with a preformed polymeric film or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/3886 Olefin polymer or copolymer sheet or film [e.g., polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene-butylene copolymer, etc.]

Abstract

Woven fabric laminates having superior resistance to penetration by ballistic projectiles, assemblies thereof, and the method by which they are made. In one embodiment, among others, a laminate of the invention is comprised of a fabric woven from a high strength, high modulus yarn, a surface coating of a low modulus elastomer and a plastic film bonded to its elastomer-coated surface.

Claims

1. A ballistically resistant laminate comprising:

a. a matrix-free woven fabric comprised of at least 50% by weight of high strength yarns having tenacities equal to or greater than about 7 g/d, initial tensile moduli equal to or greater than about 150 g/d and energies-to-break equal to or greater than about 8 J/g as measured by ASTM D2256;

b. an elastomer coated on at least a portion of one surface of said woven fabric, said elastomer having an initial tensile modulus equal to or less than about 6000 psi (41.4 MPa) as measured by ASTM D638; and

c. a plastic film bonded to at least a portion of said elastomer coated surface.

2. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said woven fabric is a scoured and corona treated woven fabric.

3. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said woven fabric is a scoured, corona treated and calendered woven fabric.

4. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said high strength yarns have tenacities equal to or greater than about 15 g/d, initial tensile moduli equal to or greater than about 400 g/d and energies-to-break equal to or greater than about 15 J/g as measured by ASTM D2256.

5. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said high strength yarns have tenacities equal to or greater than about 30 g/d, initial tensile moduli equal to or greater than about 1000 g/d and energies-to-break equal to or greater than about 27 J/g as measured by ASTM D2256.

6. The laminate of claim 1 wherein at least one of said high strength yarns is a polyethylene yarn.

7. The laminate of claim 1 wherein at least one of said high strength yarns is a poly(p-phenylene terephthalmide) yarn.

8. The laminate of claim 1 wherein at least one of said high strength yarns is a polybenzazole yarn selected from the group consisting of a polybenzoxazole (PBO) yarn and a polybenzothiazole (PBT) yarn.

9. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said elastomer has an initial tensile modulus equal to or less than about 2400 psi (16.5 MPa) as measured by ASTM D638.

10. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said elastomer has an initial tensile modulus equal to or less than about 1200 psi (8.23 MPa) as measured by ASTM D638.

11. The laminate of claim 1 where said elastomer comprises about 0.5 to about 15 percent by weight of the laminate.

12. The laminate of claim 1 where said elastomer comprises about 1 to about 10 percent by weight of the laminate.

13. The laminate of claim 1 where said elastomer comprises about 2 to about 8 percent by weight of the laminate.

14. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said plastic film comprises about 0.5 to about 5 percent by weight of the laminate.

15. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said plastic film is comprised of a member selected from the group consisting of polyolefin, polyamide, polyester and polyfluorocarbon.

16. The laminate of claim 1 wherein said plastic film is comprised of polyethylene.

17. A ballistically resistant rigid panel wherein at least one component is comprised of a plurality of the laminates of claim 1 bonded together in stacked array.

18. The ballistically resistant rigid panel of claim 17 further comprised of at least one hard face member selected from the group consisting of a metal, a ceramic, a glass, a metal filled composite, a ceramic filled composite or a glass filled composite.

19. A ballistically resistant article comprising a plurality of the laminates of claim 1 stacked face-to-face in unconnected or loosely connected array.

20. A ballistically resistant laminate comprising:

a) a scoured and corona treated, matrix-free woven fabric comprised of at least 50% by weight of high strength yarns having tenacities equal to or greater than about 22 g/d, initial tensile moduli equal to or greater than about 400 g/d and energies-to-break equal to or greater than about 22 J/g as measured by ASTM D2256;

b) an elastomer having a initial tensile modulus less than about 1200 psi (8.23 MPa) as measured by ASTM D638 coated on at least a portion of one surface of said woven fabric, said elastomer comprising about 1 to 10 percent of the weight of the laminate; and

c) a plastic film bonded to said elastomer coated surface, said plastic film comprising about 0.5 to about 5 percent of the weight of the laminate.

21. A ballistically resistant laminate comprising:

a) a scoured and corona treated, matrix-free woven fabric comprised of at least 50% by weight of high strength polyethylene yarn having a tenacity equal to or greater than about 22 g/d, initial tensile modulus equal to or greater than about 400 g/d and energy-to-break equal to or greater than about 22 J/g as measured by ASTM D2256;

b) an elastomer comprising a block copolymer of a conjugated diene and a vinyl aromatic copolymer having an initial tensile modulus less than about 1200 psi (8.23 MPa) as measured by ASTM D638 coated on at least a portion of one surface of said woven fabric, said elastomer comprising about 1 to 10 percent of the weight of the laminate; and

c) a polyethylene film bonded to said elastomer coated surface, said polyethylene film comprising about 0.5 to about 5 percent of the weight of the laminate.

22. The laminate of claim 20 or claim 21 wherein said woven fabric is a scoured, corona treated and calendered woven fabric.