Polyolefin fiber reinforced rubber
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsAshok Bhatnagar, David S. Cordova
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Rubberized polyolefin fabrics, particularly rubberized polyolefin fiber containing fabrics and a method for vulcanizing rubber without melting or lowering the performance of the fibers. A plurality of fibrous layers are molded and rubberized under high pressures, producing fabrics having customized stiffness properties.
Claims53
A rubberized, molded ballistic resistant fabric comprising a plurality of woven fibrous layers comprising polyolefin fibers or a plurality of non-woven fibrous layers comprising polyolefin fibers, or a combination of at least one woven fibrous layer and at least one non-woven fibrous layer of polyolefin fibers;
- said fabric having a stiffness of from about 20 ksi to about 500 ksi as measured by ASTM D790;
- and said polyolefin fibers having a tenacity of about 7 g/denier or more and a tensile modulus of about 150 g/denier or more;
- said fabric having a vulcanized rubber composition attached or applied to at least one surface thereof;
- wherein the fibers forming the fibrous layers are not embedded within or encapsulated by the rubber composition, wherein the rubber composition is applied onto less than 100% of the surface area of said fibers, and
- wherein said rubberized, molded ballistic resistant fabric is produced by molding the fibrous layers together at a pressure of from about 200 psi to about 5000 psi.
A method of forming a rubberized, ballistic resistant fabric comprising:
- i) applying a layer of an unvulcanized rubber composition onto at least one surface of a ballistic resistant fabric, said fabric comprising a plurality of woven fibrous layers comprising polyolefin fibers or a plurality of non-woven fibrous layers comprising polyolefin fibers, or a combination of at least one woven fibrous layer and at least one non-woven fibrous layer of polyolefin fibers;
- said polyolefin fibers having a tenacity of about 7 g/denier or more and a tensile modulus of about 150 g/denier or more;
- ii) molding said fabric under sufficient heat and at a pressure of from about 200 psi to about 5000 psi to vulcanize said rubber composition and to produce a rubberized fabric having a stiffness of from about 20 ksi to about 500 ksi as measured by ASTM D790;
- wherein the fibers forming the fibrous layers are not embedded within or encapsulated by the rubber composition, wherein the rubber composition is applied onto less than 100% of the surface area of said fibers;
- and wherein said rubberized, molded ballistic resistant fabric is produced by molding the fibrous layers together at a pressure of from about 200 psi to about 5000 psi.
A method of forming a rubberized, ballistic resistant fabric comprising:
- i) positioning a vulcanized rubber layer onto at least one surface of a ballistic resistant fabric, said fabric comprising a plurality of woven fibrous layers comprising polyolefin fibers or a plurality of non-woven fibrous layers comprising polyolefin fibers, or a combination of at least one woven fibrous layer and at least one non-woven fibrous layer of polyolefin fibers;
- said polyolefin fibers having a tenacity of about 7 g/denier or more and a tensile modulus of about 150 g/denier or more;
- and either ii)A) or ii)B):
- ii)A) molding said fabric under sufficient heat and at a pressure of from about 200 psi to about 5000 psi to attach said vulcanized rubber layer to said ballistic resistant fabric and to thereby produce a rubberized fabric having a stiffness of from about 20 ksi to about 500 ksi as measured by ASTM D790;
- and wherein the fibers forming the fibrous layers are not embedded within or encapsulated by the rubber composition, wherein the rubber composition is applied onto less than 100% of the surface area of said fibers;
- ii)B) wherein the ballistic resistant fabric is molded at a pressure of from about 200 psi to about 5000 psi prior to positioning the vulcanized rubber layer onto at least one surface of said ballistic resistant fabric, wherein said rubberized, molded fabric has a stiffness of from about 20 ksi to about 500 ksi as measured by ASTM D790;
- and wherein the fibers forming the fibrous layers are not embedded within or encapsulated by the rubber composition, wherein the rubber composition is applied onto less than 100% of the surface area of said fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.