Which Is Better, Kevlar Fiber Or PE Fiber in The Material?
Aramid Fiber Equipment Aramid, also known as aramid (chemical name is phthalamide), was born in the late 1960s. It is a new type of high-tech synthetic fiber with the advantages of high temperature resistance, acid and alkali resistance, light weight and high strength. It has been widely used in fields such as bulletproof protective equipment, construction and electronic equipment.
But aramid also has two fatal shortcomings:
1) It will degrade when exposed to ultraviolet light; it is easy to hydrolyze, even if it is stored in a dry environment, it will absorb the moisture in the air and gradually hydrolyze.
Therefore, aramid bulletproof inserts and bulletproof vests are not suitable for long-term use in strong ultraviolet and humid environments, which will greatly reduce their protective performance and service life. In addition, the poor stability and short life of aramid also limit the further application of aramid in the field of bulletproofing.
Premium aramid is also priced higher than PE, possibly 30% to 50% higher. At present, the number of bulletproof products using aramid is gradually decreasing and is beginning to be replaced by PE bulletproof products. Unless it is in a special environment or has special requirements, such as the high temperature in the Middle East, it is recommended to use PE material bulletproof equipment.
1. The PE in the PE fiber equipment mentioned above actually refers to UHMW-PE, which is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. It is a high-performance organic fiber developed in the early 1980s, and is known as carbon fiber and aramid in today's world. Three high-tech fibers. The plastic bags used in our daily life are actually polyethylene products, which have ultra-high stability and are extremely difficult to degrade, causing serious environmental pollution. But it is precisely because of this characteristic that it becomes an ideal material for making body armor. In addition, it also has the characteristics of low temperature resistance, UV resistance and water resistance.
In terms of defense against low-speed bullets, the ballistic resistance of UHMW-PE fiber is about 30% higher than that of aramid fiber;
In terms of defense against high-speed bullets, the bulletproof ability of UHMW-PE fiber is 1.5 to 2 times that of aramid fiber, so PE is currently recognized as the highest quality bulletproof material.
However, UHMW-PE also has some disadvantages: its high temperature resistance is far less than that of aramid. The use temperature of UHMWPE bulletproof products needs to be controlled within 80 ℃ (which can meet the temperature requirements of human body and equipment - temperature resistance 55 ℃). Once this temperature is exceeded, its properties decline rapidly, and when the temperature reaches 150°C or higher, it melts. Aramid bulletproof products can still maintain structural stability and good protective performance at a high temperature of 200 °C. Therefore, PE bulletproof products are not suitable for use in high temperature environments.
In addition, PE is not as creep-resistant as aramid, and devices using PE will slowly deform under constant pressure. Therefore, equipment such as helmets with complex shapes that need to withstand pressure for a long time cannot be made of PE.
In addition to these features, the price of PE is much lower than the previously mentioned aramid.
Generally speaking, PE and aramid have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, PE is now more widely used as a ballistic layer. Or choose the bulletproof equipment that suits you according to your actual situation.
