10 - Prepreg ballistic composites

Abstract

With the advancement of ballistic materials and technologies, the ballistic prepregs are becoming an essential construction technique for getting the maximum performance out of the high performance fibers. The ballistic prepregs help to maximize the engagement between fibers and high speed projectiles penetrating the ballistic material, thus reducing the amount of ballistic material required to defeat the projectiles. The backbone of lightweight ballistic materials is high performance ballistic fiber. However, the ballistic fibers alone cannot engage a high speed projectile because the projectile can push fibers aside without breaking a single filament in the fiber bundle. To overcome this limitation, the fibers are converted into either a woven fabric or a non-woven material such as a cross-plied unidirectional or felt type material. These ballistic materials have fibers in at least two directions, which forces the projectile to engage with the fibers. For soft armor, these ballistic materials are tailored into a flexible vest. However, for rigid armor, these prepregs are molded into the shape of the finished product by utilizing proper molds and molding conditions.