Non-ceramic hard armor composite
A hard armor composite includes a rigid non-ceramic 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 non-ceramic facing comprising high-performance fibers having a tensile strength greater than 7 grams per denier and at least one non-ceramic element selected from a group consisting of glass fiber, carbon fiber, and graphite; and said high-performance fibers and said non-ceramic element being arranged in a structure selected from a group consisting of woven layers, non-woven unidirectional layers, knit layers, a three-dimensionally knit structure, and a three-dimensionally woven structure;
(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; and
(c) said rigid facing and fabric backing having a combined thickness of less than 0.900-inches, and a uniform areal density of no more than 5.1 pounds per square foot.
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 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).
9. A hard armor composite according to claim 1 , wherein said rigid facing comprising a generally flat, continuous monolithic plate.
10. A hard armor composite, comprising:
(a) a rigid non-ceramic facing comprising high-performance fibers having a tensile strength greater than 7 grams per denier and at least one non-ceramic element selected from a group consisting of glass fiber, carbon fiber, and graphite; and said high-performance fibers and said non-ceramic element being arranged in a structure selected from a group consisting of woven layers, non-woven unidirectional layers, knit layers, a three-dimensionally knit structure, and a three-dimensionally woven structure;
(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; and
(c) said rigid facing and fabric backing having a combined thickness of less than 0.900-inches, and a uniform areal density of no more than 5.1 pounds per square foot.
11. A hard armor composite according to claim 10 , and comprising means for adhering said fabric backing to said non-ceramic facing.
12. A hard armor composite according to claim 11 , 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.
13. A hard armor composite according to claim 10 , wherein said non-ceramic facing comprises a generally flat, continuous monolithic plate.
14. A hard armor composite according to claim 10 , 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).