Polypropylene Fiber Reinforcement
One of the press releases I recently came across discussed the commercial release of Polypropylene fiber for use as a reinforcement in composites. The one I saw is sold under the trade name Innegra S Fiber by Innegrity LLC.
Polypropylene’s low density is a huge weight advantage, especially as compared to glass. Measured at 0.84 grams per cubic centimeter, it can be compared to glass which is at 2.55 grams per cubic centimeter, Kevlar (aramid) which is 1.44 grams per cubic centimeter, Carbon which is 1.76 grams per cubic centimeter, and UHMWPE which is 0.97 grams per cubic centimeter.
This material exhibits high toughness, which will make it great as a potential replacement for aramid reinforcements in applications such as bulletproof vests and mass transit. The low cost of polypropylene and its huge cost benefits because it is more of a commodity material will bring it into many new applications. It will be exciting to see new materials like this find commonplace usage and application.
Composites in the Military
The military has been using composite materials for decades. Mostly applied to the aerospace segment, composites are now finding more uses to the traditional armed forces.
One of the uses for military ground forces is in the segment of armored vehicles. Metal armor competes with composite armor with metal being less expensive but heavier. This weight advantage has required the use of composite armor for the “up armoring” of vehicle systems that were already near their max payload. This minimizes the amount of other weight sacrifices being made in order to add armor.
Weight and performance are becoming more important as military tactics transition towards fast and nimble. This will create many future applications for composite materials as acceptance and testing open new opportunities.
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