Ballistics

Plastics play an important role in ballistics when low weight, high impact strength and the absorption of dynamic loads have to be combined with one another. Depending on the application, solid plastic semi-finished products, high-strength fibre materials or multilayer composite systems are used.

Particularly relevant are PE-UHMW or PE 1000, polycarbonate, aramid and composites made from plastics, fibres and ceramics. The materials differ significantly in terms of weight, toughness, hardness, transparency and machinability.

Martan Plastics supplies engineering plastics and high-performance plastics as semi-finished products, cut pieces and individually machined components for demanding industrial applications.

Why are plastics used in ballistics?

Ballistic applications are characterised by very rapid and high mechanical loads. Depending on their function, components and material composites must absorb energy, distribute forces or stabilise other components within a system.

Plastics offer several interesting material properties for this:

• low specific weight
• high impact strength
• high energy absorption in suitable materials
• corrosion resistance
• low water absorption in certain polymer types
• good chemical resistance
• versatile machining options
• combination with fibres, ceramics and metallic materials

Which properties are required always depends on the specific design and the intended load.

An overview of the available materials can be found in our material overview.

Which plastics are used in ballistics?

For ballistic applications, the plastics that come into consideration are primarily those that enable high mechanical load capacity at low weight.

PE-UHMW, polycarbonate and fibre-based material systems play a particularly important role here.

Material	Characteristic properties	Typical function
PE-UHMW / PE 1000	very tough, low density, low water absorption	sheets, carrier and composite structures
high-strength PE fibres	high specific strength, low weight	fibre layers and laminates
aramid	high tensile strength, light	flexible and multilayer fibre systems
polycarbonate	transparent, very impact-resistant	transparent technical components
plastic-ceramic composite	combination of different material properties	multilayer constructions

However, the actual properties of a ballistic component do not result from the base material alone. Material thickness, geometry, processing, fibre orientation and the complete structure of a composite system influence the technical performance.

PE-UHMW and PE 1000 in ballistic applications

PE-UHMW stands for ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. At Martan Plastics, the material is listed among others as PE 1000.

PE-UHMW is characterised by a combination of very high toughness and low density. These properties make the material interesting for constructions in which weight is to be reduced while at the same time achieving high resistance to dynamic loads.

Typical properties include:

• very high impact strength
• low density
• very low water absorption
• good chemical resistance
• high wear resistance
• good sliding properties

Further technical information on PE 1000, PE 500 and other polyethylene types can be found on our material page for polyethylene (PE).

Sheets with high energy absorption

A common topic in ballistic applications is sheets with high energy absorption.

Under dynamic load, the energy that occurs should be introduced into the material or material composite in a controlled manner and distributed over as large an area as possible. Tough polymer materials and high-strength fibre structures can perform important functions here.

Because of its low weight and high toughness, PE-UHMW is particularly interesting for such constructions.

However, the performance of a sheet depends on several factors:

• the material used
• material quality
• sheet thickness
• component geometry
• structure of individual material layers
• orientation of reinforcing fibres
• bonding of different materials
• temperature and ambient conditions
• type of load that occurs

A sheet for a ballistic application should therefore not be selected solely on the basis of the base material.

Distinguishing solid PE-UHMW sheets and high-strength PE fibres

With polyethylene in ballistics, a distinction must be made between solid thermoplastic semi-finished products and high-strength fibre systems.

Solid PE-UHMW sheets

Solid PE-UHMW semi-finished products can, for example, be used as sheets, cut pieces or individually machined construction parts.

They can be machined and produced to defined dimensions or contours.

High-strength polyethylene fibres

High-strength PE fibres, by contrast, have a strongly oriented molecular structure. Several fibre layers can be processed into laminates and composite systems.

This results in different mechanical properties than those of a conventional solid PE-UHMW sheet.

This distinction is important: a PE 1000 sheet from the classic semi-finished product range is not automatically technically equivalent to a specially constructed ballistic fibre laminate.

Aramid in ballistics

Alongside polyethylene, aramid fibres are among the well-known materials for ballistic applications.

Aramid is characterised by high tensile strength at comparatively low weight. The fibres can absorb loads and distribute them within a multilayer structure.

Typical areas of use are:

• flexible fibre layers
• multilayer laminates
• helmets
• technical reinforcements
• composite constructions
• textile ballistic components

For the frequently asked question of which synthetic fibre bulletproof vests are made of, aramid fibres and high-strength polyethylene fibres are therefore particularly relevant.

Here too, however, the properties of the finished system depend on the structure, number and orientation of the material layers.

What does soft ballistics mean?

In soft ballistics, flexible material systems are used, which often consist of several layers of high-strength fibres.

For this, the following are suitable, for example:

• aramid fibres
• high-strength polyethylene fibres
• textile multilayer structures
• different fibre composites

The essential difference from rigid sheets lies in the flexibility of the material structure.

Under load, forces are introduced into the fibre structure and distributed over several fibres or material layers. The resulting properties are influenced among other things by fibre type, orientation, number of layers and processing.

Plastics and ballistic ceramic in composite

In ballistics, plastics are often not used in isolation. Particularly in multilayer constructions, they can be combined with materials that have completely different mechanical properties.

One example is the combination with ballistic ceramic.

Ceramic materials are characterised above all by their high hardness. Tough plastic or fibre layers can perform other tasks within the material composite.

Possible combinations are:

• ceramic with PE-UHMW
• ceramic with high-strength PE fibres
• ceramic with aramid
• ceramic with other plastic composites

Through a multilayer structure, different material properties can be combined with one another in a targeted way.

A hard ceramic layer and a tougher structure behind it perform different mechanical functions.

Why composite materials are important in ballistics

A single material can rarely offer maximum hardness, high toughness, minimum density and optimum energy absorption at the same time.

This is why composite materials are often used in ballistic applications.

The principle is to combine different materials with one another in such a way that their respective advantages can be used within a construction.

Within such systems, plastics can, for example:

• absorb energy
• distribute loads
• reduce weight
• bond components
• support ceramic layers
• absorb splinters or fragments
• serve as a structural carrier layer

Which structure is suitable depends on the respective application and the required technical properties.

Polycarbonate in ballistics

Polycarbonate (PC) differs significantly from PE-UHMW and fibre materials.

One of the most important properties of polycarbonate is its very high impact strength. At the same time, the plastic is available in transparent form.

PC is therefore particularly suitable for applications in which mechanical resistance and optical transparency have to be combined with one another.

Typical properties are:

• high impact strength
• high breaking strength
• transparency
• good dimensional stability
• good machinability
• comparatively low weight

For higher technical requirements, polycarbonate can be part of a multilayer transparent material system.

Detailed information on the material can be found on our page for polycarbonate (PC).

Which properties of plastics are relevant in ballistics?

The selection of a plastic should be based on the entire requirement profile.

Energy absorption

Under dynamic loads, it matters how energy is introduced into the material, distributed and absorbed.

Energy absorption is not a single universal material characteristic that can automatically determine a material's suitability for every ballistic application.

Impact strength

Impact-resistant plastics can withstand suddenly occurring mechanical loads without immediately failing in a brittle manner.

PE-UHMW and polycarbonate are among the materials in which high impact strength is an important material property.

Low weight

A key advantage of many polymer materials is their low density.

This can make them interesting, particularly for mobile components, vehicle constructions and weight-sensitive systems.

Tensile strength

In fibre-based materials such as aramid and high-strength polyethylene fibres, high tensile strength is particularly relevant.

The orientation of the fibres significantly influences the mechanical properties.

Temperature behaviour

The properties of plastics change depending on temperature.

The intended service temperature range should therefore be taken into account when selecting the material.

Moisture absorption

In applications under changing environmental conditions, the water absorption of a material can be relevant.

PE, for example, is characterised by very low water absorption.

Chemical resistance

If components come into contact with fuels, oils, cleaning agents or other chemicals, the chemical resistance of the material must also be checked.

Plastics or metal: what advantages do polymer materials offer?

Plastics do not fundamentally replace classic metallic materials. However, they enable different design solutions.

Less weight

Plastics generally have a significantly lower density than steel and many other metallic materials.

This enables lighter constructions.

No corrosion

Polymer materials do not corrode in the same way as metals. This can offer design advantages, especially in moisture or demanding ambient conditions.

Good machinability

Plastic semi-finished products can be cut to individual component geometries and machined.

Different material properties

Thanks to the large selection of engineering plastics, properties such as toughness, hardness, temperature resistance, transparency and chemical resistance can be taken into account in a targeted way.

Combination in hybrid constructions

Plastics can be combined with metals, fibres and ceramics. This can create hybrid material systems in which different materials each perform specific functions.

Typical applications of plastics in ballistics

Plastics and polymer composites can be used in numerous components.

These include, for example:

• plastic sheets
• energy-absorbing sheet structures
• fibre laminates
• flexible material systems
• carrier and backing structures
• helmets
• vehicle components
• technical covers
• transparent components
• interior linings
• housings
• individual construction elements

We also cover applications in the military and defence technology environment on our page for the defence industry.

Plastic machining for ballistic applications

Selecting the suitable material is only one part of component design. Machining must also be matched to the material, geometry and subsequent load.

Martan Plastics manufactures individual components from engineering plastics to customer specification.

Depending on the material and geometry, the following processes can be used among others:

• CNC milling
• CNC turning
• drilling
• cutting
• waterjet cutting

Further information on our manufacturing options can be found in the plastic machining section.

Waterjet cutting of plastic sheets

For complex cut pieces, waterjet cutting can be an interesting machining method.

The process works without significant thermal stress on the cutting zone. This makes it possible to machine temperature-sensitive plastics and complex contours as well.

Depending on the material and component, the advantages can be:

• no thermally affected cutting zone
• complex contours possible
• flexible geometries
• machining of different sheet thicknesses
• economical production of individual cut pieces

Whether waterjet cutting or a machining process is more suitable should be decided on the basis of the specific material and the required component geometry.

Manufacturing solid plastic components to drawing

For ballistic applications, individually machined components made from solid engineering plastics may be required in addition to fibre composites.

These include, for example:

• sheet cut pieces
• spacers
• carriers
• covers
• housing parts
• guide elements
• insulating components
• structural plastic parts

Martan Plastics can machine plastic semi-finished products in accordance with your drawings and technical specifications.

For particularly demanding mechanical, thermal or chemical requirements, other high-performance plastics can also be considered.

Which plastic is suitable for a ballistic application?

A blanket material recommendation is not sensible. Different applications place different demands on the plastic.

Before selecting the material, the following questions should be answered among others:

1. Which mechanical loads occur?
2. How important is energy absorption?
3. Which impact strength is required?
4. How high may the component weight be?
5. Which component thickness is available?
6. Is a solid plastic or a fibre composite required?
7. Which temperatures occur?
8. Is there contact with moisture or chemicals?
9. Does the component have to be transparent?
10. Which dimensions and tolerances are required?
11. How is the material to be machined?
12. Are tests or approvals required for the overall system?

On the basis of these requirements, the material selection can be narrowed down much more precisely.

An initial overview of the available materials can be found under materials.

Plastics for ballistic applications from Martan Plastics

Martan Plastics supports industrial customers in the selection and machining of engineering plastics for demanding applications.

Depending on the project, we supply:

• plastic semi-finished products
• plastic sheets
• cut pieces
• individually machined components
• individual parts
• series components

In doing so, we take into account among other things the material, dimensions, tolerances, quantity, ambient conditions and the desired machining process.

Are you looking for a plastic for a ballistic application or do you need individually machined plastic sheets and components? Send us your technical requirements or your drawing. Together with you, we will assess which material and which manufacturing process are suitable for your application.

Frequently asked questions about plastics in ballistics

Which plastics are used in ballistics?

Depending on the application, PE-UHMW or PE 1000, high-strength polyethylene fibres, polycarbonate and fibre-based composite systems are used among others. In addition, plastics are combined with aramid, ceramic and other materials.

What is PE-UHMW?

PE-UHMW is ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. The material is characterised among other things by high toughness, low density, very low water absorption and good wear resistance. In the semi-finished product sector, PE-UHMW is also often referred to as PE 1000.

Why is PE-UHMW used in ballistics?

The combination of low weight and high toughness makes PE-UHMW interesting for dynamically loaded constructions. Depending on the application, the material can be used as a solid sheet, construction part or part of a composite system.

Which sheets have high energy absorption?

Energy absorption does not depend on the base material alone. Material type, thickness, fibre structure, layer structure and construction influence the behaviour of a sheet. Because of their toughness or specific mechanical properties, PE-UHMW and high-strength fibre materials can be interesting for energy-absorbing structures.

What is the difference between PE 1000 and high-strength PE fibres?

PE 1000 usually refers to solid semi-finished products made from PE-UHMW. High-strength PE fibres, by contrast, have strongly oriented polymer chains and are processed, for example, into fibre layers and laminates. Both are based on polyethylene, but have different structures and possible uses.

What is soft ballistics?

Soft ballistics uses flexible multilayer material systems. High-strength aramid or polyethylene fibres are often used. Properties and performance depend essentially on the structure and processing of the individual fibre layers.

Which synthetic fibre is used for ballistic vests?

Well-known fibre materials include aramid fibres and high-strength polyethylene fibres. Which material is used depends on the construction, the desired weight and the requirements for the overall system.

What role does ballistic ceramic play in plastic composites?

Ceramic offers high hardness, while plastics and fibre materials can provide other properties such as toughness and energy absorption. The combination creates multilayer systems in which different materials perform different mechanical functions.

Is polycarbonate used in ballistics?

Polycarbonate has a very high impact strength and is available in transparent form. It can therefore be interesting for transparent technical components and as part of multilayer systems.

Can plastic sheets be machined individually?

Yes. Depending on the respective plastic, sheets can for example be milled, drilled, turned or waterjet cut. Martan Plastics offers various plastic machining processes for this.