Application of UHMWPE reinforcements in the production of ballistic protection plates

U današnje se vrijeme za izradu zaštitnih antibalističkih ploča koriste raznovrsni materijali poput čelika, keramike, drva, polimera te kompozitnih materijala. Upravo kompoziti zbog svojih odličnih mehaničkih svojstava, koje je moguće „oblikovati“, nailaze na sve širu primjenu u području zaštite ljudi i materijalnih dobara. U ovom radu predložena je struktura antibalističke kompozitne ploče od staklenih i polietilenskih vlakna s ultra visokom molekularnom masom (UHMWPE) u matrici od epoksidne smole nakon koje je podvrgnuta ispitivanju otpornosti na kinetičke penetratore. Također, analizirana su i mehanička svojstva epoksidne smole ojačane nanočesticama aluminijevog oksida (Al2O3) kako bi se vidio utjecaj nanopunila, a ispitivanja su provedena u Laboratoriju za polimere i kompozite. Nowadays, various materials such as steel, ceramics, wood, polymers and composite materials are used to make protective anti-ballistic panels. Due to their excellent mechanical properties, which can be „designed“, composites are increasingly used in protection of people and goods. In this paper, the structure of an anti-ballistic composite panel made of glass fibres and ultra-high molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres in an epoxy resin matrix was proposed, after which it was subjected to kinetic penetrator resistance testing. Additionally, the mechanical properties of epoxy resin reinforced with nanoparticles of aluminium oxide (Al2O3) were analyzed to see the effect of nanofillers and tests were carried out in the Laboratory of Polymers and Composites.