Multilayered Polymer Sheet with Edge Thickening for Ballistic Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multilayered material sheets for ballistic resistance, primarily composed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, can be improved in terms of ballistic performance and production ease.
Innovation Solution
A multilayered material sheet comprising a consolidated stack of unidirectional monolayers of drawn polymer, where the draw direction of two subsequent monolayers differs, with at least one monolayer having elevated thickness along its longitudinal edges, allowing for improved stacking and compression, and potentially using lower strength polymers to achieve good antiballistic properties without additional polymeric films.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If tapes are positioned adjacent to each other without overlap, then production is simplified, but the material cannot be produced and structural integrity is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating elevated thickness areas specifically at the longitudinal edges of tapes where they contact adjacent tapes, rather than requiring overlap throughout the entire tape structure. This localized thickening provides bonding capability exactly where needed for structural integrity while maintaining the simplified non-overlapping production approach for the rest of the tape area.
2Reliability
If ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene is used exclusively, then good antiballistic properties are obtained, but production complexity increases and material costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by restricting ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene to specific locations (longitudinal edges where tapes contact adjacent tapes) rather than requiring it throughout the entire material structure. This allows the use of lower strength polymers in the bulk material while maintaining antiballistic properties at critical bonding locations, thereby reducing production complexity and material costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene with lower strength polymers in a structured arrangement. The high-performance polymer is localized to edge regions for bonding and ballistic resistance, while the bulk consists of more economical lower-strength polymer, creating a composite structure that optimizes both performance and cost.
3Reliability
If monolayers are stacked and compressed, then a consolidated multilayered structure is formed, but production difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming elevated thickness areas along the longitudinal edges of tapes before the stacking and compression process. This pre-preparation ensures that bonding surfaces are already in place and properly positioned, making the subsequent stacking and compression operations more straightforward and reducing production difficulty while achieving reliable consolidated structure.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a multilayered material sheet comprising a consolidated stack of unidirectional monolayers of drawn polymer, whereby the draw direction of two subsequent monolayers in the stack differs. At least one monolayer comprises a plurality of unidirectional tapes of the drawn polymer, aligned in the same direction, whereby adjacent tapes do not overlap. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of the multilayered material sheet, and to a ballistic resistant article comprising the multilayered material sheet.