Lightweight Ballistic Composites: Military and Law-Enforcement Applications

Lightweight Ballistic Composites: Military and Law-Enforcement Applications, Second Edition, is a fully revised and updated version of this informative book that explores the many changes in composite materials technology that have occurred since the book's first release in 2008, especially the type of commercial products used by armed forces around the world.

Some changes can be attributed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, whereas others are due to massive investment by private companies to neutralize the ever-increasing global threats and fulfill the military's appetite for lighter materials. Soldiers are now better protected against new ballistic threats and the overall weight of body protection has been reduced, while comfort has increased.

New military vehicles are no longer purely armored with steel, and are instead lined with lightweight ballistic materials that increase the distance military vehicles can travel without refueling and also improve maneuverability. The book considers all aspects of lightweight ballistic composites from fiber manufacturing to commercial products and testing.

Chapters also cover the many uses of lightweight ballistic composites in the military and law-enforcement industries. It will be an invaluable reference for ballistic composite design engineers, product development engineers, and all those involved in promoting new products for both defense and the law-enforcement industry.

Gives comprehensive coverage on all aspects of lightweight ballistic composites, from fiber manufacturing, to commercial products and testingDiscusses the wider applications of lightweight ballistic composites in military and law-enforcement industriesEdited by a highly respected industry expert with over thirty years’ experience developing lightweight composite ballistic materials and products

Preface 

1 High performance ballistic fibers

2 High performance fabrics and 3D materials

3 Non-woven and cross-plied ballistic materials

4 Ballistic threats: bullets and fragments

5 International ballistic specifications and standards

6 Lightweight composite materials processing

7 Body armor protection: vests, breast plates, helmets, bomb suits, shoes

8 Composite armor long-term durability

9 Vehicle armor

10 Ballistic material testing

11 Numerical analysis of ballistic composite materials and/or converted products

12 Ceramics for lightweight armor applications

13 Ceramic and metal faced lightweight composite materials

14 Future trends in lightweight composite armor