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OwnerAshok Bhatnagar, Tyler Bartelt +4inventors
InventorsAshok Bhatnagar, Tyler Bartelt, Henry Gerard Ardiff, Gary Kratzer, David A. Hurst, Lori L. Wagner
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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 buoyant ballistic resistant article having positive buoyancy in water, said article comprising a buoyant ballistic resistant material having positive buoyancy in water, wherein said article incorporates one or more armor plates, said armor plates having neutral or negative buoyancy in water, said buoyant ballistic resistant material comprising at least one fibrous ply, each fibrous ply comprising a plurality of fibers and/or a plurality of tapes, wherein one or more of said fibers/tapes have surfaces that are partially covered by raised, discontinuous patches of a polymeric binder bonded to and extending from the fiber/tape surfaces, and wherein the material further comprises a plurality of polymer particles on and/or between said fibers/tapes, wherein at least some of said polymer particles are softened and/or melted;
A buoyant ballistic resistant article having positive buoyancy in water, said article comprising a buoyant ballistic resistant material having positive buoyancy in water, wherein said article incorporates one or more armor plates, said armor plates having neutral or negative buoyancy in water, said buoyant ballistic resistant material comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.