Ballistic-resistant body armor has been credited with saving
more than 2500 lives, but new materials are constantly being
developed, and there currently exists no method for evaluating
armor over time to ensure the continued effectiveness of the
protection.
Link chemical structure and fiber mechanics to ballistic performance
Identify chemical mechanisms underlying reduction of ballistic
performance (UV and hydrolysis)
Machine Readable Travel Documents (e.g., passports) are critical
to homeland security.
NIST helped to develop the currently “unbeatable”
U.S. Passport and therefore has the experience to assist in
development of the next generation passport.
Physical security of the passport is one of the critical design
elements, i.e., forgery/tamper resistance.
NIST Role
•Prevent the catastrophic failure of ballistic bodyarmor
•Develop a minimally invasive test that quantifies the in-service properties of ballistic fibers without destroying the protective vest
•Link chemical structure and fiber mechanics to ballistics performance
•Identify chemical mechanisms underlying reduction in chemical performance (UV &Hydrolysis)
•Polymers Division small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) facility for quantifying changes in fiber morphology that results from mechanical stimuli.
Highlights
•New Metrologies for Quantifying the Impact of Folding on Ballistic Fibers
•Device for the controlled Folding of Ballistic Fiber Yarns and Woven Fabrics
•Automated Single Fiber Tester for quantifying degradation to mechanical properties
•New Metrologies for Identifying the Form of Bound Residual Acid and Chemical Degradation Pathways in Ballistic Fibers
•MALDI of Degraded and Derivatized Insoluble Polymers
•Model Oligomers for elucidating the form of bound residual acid
•Model Oligomers for elucidating the mechanism of Hydrolytic and UV Degradation
