Hard armor composite
A hard armor composite includes a rigid facing and a ballistic fabric backing. The fabric backing is carried by the facing, and includes an array of bundled high-performance fibers. The fibers have a tensile strength greater than 7 grams per denier and a denier per filament ratio of less than 5.4.
1 . A hard armor composite, comprising:
(a) a rigid facing; and
(b) a ballistic fabric backing carried by said facing, and comprising an array of bundled high-performance fibers, said fibers having a tensile strength greater than 7 grams per denier and a denier per filament ratio of less than 5.4.
2 . A hard armor composite according to claim 1 , wherein said fabric backing comprises a plurality of overlying fabric layers.
3 . A hard armor composite according to claim 2 , wherein said fabric layers are laminated under heat and pressure to form a unitary ballistic structure.
4 . A hard armor composite according to claim 1 , and comprising means for adhering said fabric backing to said facing.
5 . A hard armor composite according to claim 4 , wherein said means for adhering comprises an adhesive selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic polymer resin matrix and a thermosetting polymer resin matrix.
6 . A hard armor composite according to claim 4 , wherein said means for adhering comprises a polymer film.
7 . A hard armor composite according to claim 4 , wherein said means for adhering comprises an adhesive selected from the group consisting of an epoxy adhesive, a polysulfide adhesive, a polyurethane adhesive, a phenolic adhesive, a polyester adhesive, a polyvinyl butyral adhesive, a polyolefin adhesive, and a vinyl ester adhesive.
8 . A hard armor composite according to claim 1 , wherein said facing is constructed of a material selected from the group consisting of ceramic, steel, glass, aluminum, titanium, and graphite.
9 . A hard armor composite according to claim 1 , wherein said high-performance fibers are selected from the group consisting of aramid, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), poly{p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole} (PBO), and poly {diimidazo pyridinylene(dihydroxy)phenylene} (M5).
10 . A hard armor composite according to claim 1 , wherein said rigid facing comprising a generally flat, continuous monolithic plate.
11 . A hard armor composite according to claim 1 , wherein said rigid facing and fabric backing have a combined thickness of less than 0.900-inches.
12 . A hard armor composite according to claim 11 , wherein said rigid facing and fabric backing have a combined weight of less than 5.1 pounds per square foot.
13 . A hard armor composite, comprising:
(a) a ceramic facing; and
(b) a ballistic fabric backing carried by said facing, and comprising an array of bundled high-performance fibers, said fibers having a tensile strength greater than 7 grams per denier and a denier per filament ratio of no more than 2.0.
14 . A hard armor composite according to claim 13 , wherein said ceramic facing comprises a material selected from the group consisting of boron carbide, silicon carbide, titanium diboride, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, sintered silicon carbide, sintered silicon nitride, and aluminum oxide.
15 . A hard armor composite according to claim 13 , and comprising means for adhering said fabric backing to said ceramic facing.
16 . A hard armor composite according to claim 15 , wherein said means for adhering comprises an adhesive selected from the group consisting of an epoxy adhesive, a polysulfide adhesive, a polyurethane adhesive, a phenolic adhesive, a polyester adhesive, a polyvinyl butyral adhesive, or a polyolefin adhesive, and a vinyl ester adhesive.
17 . A hard armor composite according to claim 13 , wherein said ceramic facing comprises a generally flat, continuous monolithic plate.
18 . A hard armor composite according to claim 13 , wherein said ceramic facing and fabric backing have a combined thickness of less than 0.900-inches.
19 . A hard armor composite according to claim 18 , wherein said ceramic facing and fabric backing have a combined weight of less than 5.1 pounds per square foot.
20 . A hard armor composite according to claim 13 , wherein said high-performance fibers are selected from the group consisting of aramid, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), poly{p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole} (PBO), and poly{diimidazo pyridinylene (dihydroxy) phenylene} (M5).