In an aspect of the invention there is provided a blast protection panel, comprising a package of fibre-reinforced resin sheets, each sheet having a dominant unidirectional fibre orientation, said package of fibre-reinforced resin sheets formed in packed stacks, each stack comprising at least four fibre-reinforced resin sheets with dominant unidirectional fibres oriented, within said each stack, alternatingly at about right angles relative to each other; and said each stack packed against adjacent stacks, said adjacent stacks comprising sheets with dominant unidirectional fibres oriented at acute angles relative said each stack thereby forming a delamination interface.

A multi-threat protection composite containing at least 15 textile layers having an upper and lower surface and a non-blocking pressure sensitive adhesive (NonB-PSA) composition on at least the upper surface of each textile layer. The NonB-PSA coating contains a pressure sensitive adhesive and a plurality of first inorganic particles, wherein the ratio by weight of the first inorganic particles to the pressure sensitive adhesive is greater than about 1.2 and wherein the NonB-PSA coating is in an amount of at least about 10 g/m.sup.2 on each surface the NonB-PSA coating is located. The first inorganic particles have a median primary particle size of less than about 5 micrometers.

An impact-absorbing article includes two outer panels that sandwich a fiber-composite post-and-sheet layer. The post-and-sheet layer includes a plurality of fiber-composite “posts” that extend orthogonally with respect to a base.

A ballistic-resistant barrier assembly including an elongated barrier having a vertical portion including a substantially horizontal elongated top edge, and a ballistic-resistant device having a first ballistic-resistant panel including an elongated top edge, and an engagement portion affixed to the elongated top edge of the first ballistic-resistant panel, wherein the engagement portion of the ballistic-resistant device is disposed adjacent the elongated top edge of the barrier so that the first ballistic-resistant panel is disposed in a vertical orientation adjacent the vertical portion of the barrier.

Ballistic resistant composite materials having high positive buoyancy in water are provided. More particularly, provided are foam-free, buoyant composite materials fabricated using dry processing techniques. The materials comprise fibrous plies that are partially coated with a particulate binder that is thermopressed to transform a portion of the binder into raised, discontinuous patches bonded to fiber/tape surfaces, while another portion of the particulate binder remains on the fibers/tapes as unmelted particles. The presence of the unmelted binder particles maintains empty spaces within the composite materials which increases the positive buoyancy of the composites in water.

A rigid ballistic-resistant composite includes large denier per filament (dpf) yarns. The yarns are held in place by a resin to form a rigid composite panel with improved ballistic performance. The large dpf yarns may be selected from aromatic heterocyclic co-polyamide fibers, polyester-polyarylate fibers, high modulus polypropylene (HMPP) fibers, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers, poly-diimidazo pyridinylene (dihydroxy) phenylene (PIPD) fibers, carbon fibers, and polyolefin fibers.

A multi-layer ballistic woven fabric, including an upper woven layer having upper warp yarns and upper weft yarns that are interwoven together to form the upper woven layer. The multi-layer ballistic woven fabric also includes a lower woven layer having lower warp yarns and lower weft yarns that are interwoven together, and a plurality of securing yarns, each securing yarn interwoven with at least some of the upper yarns and some of the lower yarns so as to secure the upper and lower woven layers together. At least one of the securing yarns is woven underneath a first lower weft yarn, then above a second upper weft yarn adjacent the first lower weft yarn, then underneath a third lower weft yarn adjacent the second upper weft yarn and then above a fourth upper weft yarn adjacent the third lower weft yarn. The multi-layer ballistic woven fabric is formed by interweaving the securing yarns with the warp yarns and weft yarns as the upper woven layer and lower woven layer are made.

A method for improving the translation efficiency of fiber strength into composite strength is provided. A single unidirectional tape, single unidirectional fiber web or a stack of unidirectional web/unidirectional tape plies formed from partially oriented fibers/tapes is primed under mild conditions followed by subjecting the primed plies to an axial extension stress in the axial fiber direction of each fiber ply by passage through a compression apparatus. The axial extension stress extends the fibers, strengthening them, while also compacting the plies together and thereby forming a composite having improved strength. Production yield is improved by avoiding maximal fiber stretching and thereby avoiding typical manufacturing loss, and low weight composite armor having increased strength is achieved.

A composite material for dissipating the kinetic energy of an impacting object includes a strike face oriented to receive the impacting object and a protected face oriented to be proximate a user or a protected item. A first portion includes at least a first woven fabric layer and at least a Non-Newtonian Fluid (NNF) sheet. The first portion is disposed adjacent the strike face. A second portion includes at least a second woven fiber layer, and the second portion is disposed adjacent the protected face.

A ballistic-resistant composite includes at least one layer that has a network of ballistic fibers and a resin matrix. The resin matrix includes maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (MA-g-PP).