Interesting Facts
Enjoy some interesting facts about all things body armour. For more, see our links page.
Topics covered on this page
The first to survive
Wyatt Earp was most likely to be the first law enforcement officer to be saved by body armour. During a shoot-out at the OK Corral, he was shot by Billy Clanton and others from as close as 5 ft.
Anti-ballistic fabric - about weave style
Weave style is very important.
- If woven too dense - too much damage to the yarn will decrease performance
- If woven too loose - not enough filaments encounter the projectile
- Plain weave gives more cross-over points - best performance
- Tenacity of fibres and filament count has an influence on ballistic performance
About Dyneema®
Dyneema® UD is a unique lightweight composite providing superior anti-ballistic protection, for both personal and vehicle protection.
Unidirectional
UD stands for 'unidirectional': in Dyneema® UD all the fibers are laid parallel, in the same plane, rather than being woven together. Dyneema® UD is made of several layers of Dyneema® fibers, with the direction of fibers in each layer at 90° to the direction of the fibers in the adjacent layers.
The unidirectional configuration of the fibers in Dyneema® UD allows the energy transferred from the impact of a bullet or other threat to be distributed along the fibers much faster and more efficiently than in conventional woven fabrics. This is because the absorption power of the yarn in woven fabrics is lost at the crossover points, as these points reflect rather than absorb the shockwaves of the impact. In Dyneema® UD, much more of the material is engaged in stopping the bullet, making it more effective against ballistics.
The world's strongest fibre
DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber. Dyneema® is a superstrong polyethylene fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited.
Other applications
Dyneema® is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema® is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema® is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel.
About Kevlar®
Kevlar® brand fiber is an innovative technology from DuPont that combines high strength with light weight to help dramatically improve the performance of a variety of consumer and industrial products. Groundbreaking research by DuPont scientists in the field of liquid crystalline polymer solutions in 1965 formed the basis for the commercial preparation of the Kevlar® aramid fiber.
Catching bullets
Body armour made with DuPont™ Kevlar® brand fiber works by 'catching' a bullet in a multilayer web of woven fabrics. Just as different Kevlar® fabrics are tailored to specific threats, different layers in the weave have different tasks—from engaging a fast-moving, undeformed projectile to completely stopping the blunted bullet.
Engaged fibres absorb energy
The engaged fibers absorb and disperse the energy of the impact, transferring it to other fibers at 'crossover points' in the weave. These fibers continue to absorb energy, reducing the force that causes 'blunt trauma'.
Comfort and protection
These woven fabrics are strong enough to resist a bullet, yet more comfortable than traditional plastic-based shield products. Fabrics made from light-denier yarns offer enhanced protection and comfort features.
The highest-performing, lightest-weight vests are made with light-denier Kevlar®. Whatever protective vest technology you're looking for, vests with Kevlar® can meet your performance, comfort and cost requirements.