The R&D team of Protech published a paper online titled“Effects of thermoplastic resin matrix on mechanical properties and anti-penetration performance of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber composite”on May 19th, 2021, in the Chinese core journal Acta Materiae Compositae Sinica. The paper provides important guidance for optimizing the structural design of UHMWPE fiber composite and establishing an engineering application evaluation mechanism that assesses anti-penetration performance based on quasi-static mechanical properties.

Three kinds of thermoplastic resin, waterborne rubber, waterborne polyester and waterborne polyurethane, were used as resin matrix, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber was worked as reinforcement. The unidirectional cross-ply structure bulletproof advanced composite laminates were prepared by hot-pressing process. The influences of thermoplastic resin matrix on mechanical behavior and ballistic response of bulletproof advanced composites were studied through ballistic impact test and mechanical test. The results show that: compared with the single thermoplastic resin system, UHMWPE fiber composite, which was fabricated with the thermoplastic resin mixed system, has better anti-penetration performance, higher tensile strength at break and higher interlaminar shear strength at break. This phenomenon is due to the higher utilization efficiency of UHMWPE fiber in the mixed resin system. Moreover, according to indirect tension mechanism induced by transverse compression together with membrane force effect caused by the larger deformation under ballistic impact, the anti-penetration performance of UHMWPE fiber composite is positively correlated with mechanical properties under quasi-static state, including tensile strength at break and interlaminar shear strength.