Fabrics having improved ballistic performance and processes for making the same

A calendered woven fabric comprising a plurality of consolidated multifilament fill yarns and a plurality of consolidated multifilament warp yarns, each of said fill yarns and said warp yarns comprising extended chain polyethylene filaments, at least a portion of said high strength filaments being temporarily locked together within said fill yarns and said warp yarns to provide a substantially stable flattened cross-sectional configuration to said fill yarns and said warp yarns, wherein said fabric of flattened consolidated multifilament fill and warp yarns is capable of receiving an impact from a projectile directed toward said fabric and of engaging said projectile upon impact with said fabric to substantially decrease the velocity thereof, and wherein said multifilament fill and warp yarns also are capable of slipping relative to one another upon impact of said projectile to substantially dissipate the energy of impact thereof.

A ballistic resistant multilayer composite comprising as at least one layer a calendered network of consolidated multifilament yarns comprising high strength filaments, at least a portion of said high strength filaments being temporarily locked together within said yarns to provide a substantially stable flattened cross-sectional configuration to said yarns and wherein said yarns have a substantially stable, crimped structure at their cross-over points.

An article of manufacture comprising a body comprising as at least one layer a calendered network of consolidated multifilament yarns comprising high strength filaments, at least a portion of said high strength filaments being temporarily locked together within said yarns to provide a substantially stable flattened cross-sectional configuration to said yarns and wherein said yarns have a substantially stable, crimped structure at their cross-over points.

A fabric produced by the process comprising:

• providing a network of multifilament yarns having a first cross-sectional configuration, at least a portion of said multifilament yarns comprising high strength filaments;
• and
• calendering said network to apply heat and pressure to said network under conditions sufficient to consolidate said yarns and to temporarily lock together at least a portion of said high strength filaments within said yarns to provide a second, substantially stable flattened cross-sectional configuration to said yarns.

A fabric produced according to the process comprising:

• calendering a woven fabric comprising a network of multifilament yarns having a first cross-sectional configuration, at least a portion of said multifilament yarns comprising high strength filaments, at a pressure ranging from about 290 to 310 Newtons, a temperature ranging from about 45 to 55.degree. C., and a speed ranging from about 22 to 30 meters per minute, to consolidate said yarns and to temporarily lock together a portion of said high strength filaments within said yarns to provide a second, substantially stable flattened cross-sectional configuration to said yarns.