The present research involves studies of the influence of the physico-mechanical properties of the ceramics on the ballistic resistance of the new concept of the hybrid, ceramic–multi-layered UHMWPE composite armour developed using SiC and Al2O3 ceramics differing in thickness. Ballistic verification of new design of the ballistic composite armour was conducted in the scope of the protection against more than one shot (multi-hit) using 7.62 × 39 mm MSC and 5.56 × 45 mm SS109 ammunition. Tests of physico-mechanical properties, covering the determination of density, acoustic impedance, Young’s modulus, hardness, and resistance to brittle fracture, were conducted for the ceramic materials. Obtained results show that the ballistic behaviour of the testing system based on ceramic tiles being made of the same materials (SiC or Al2O3) of the different thicknesses does not directly correlate with the hardness, brittle fracturing, or Young’s modulus of ceramics. For ceramic plates of the same thickness being made of different materials in chemical terms, performed studies have shown that the ballistic resistance of the testing system does not only depend on acoustic impedance of ceramic plates, which should be as similar as possible to the acoustic impedance of the backing material in the ballistic armour, but also the resistance to brittle fracturing K1c is an important parameter of the ceramic plates entering the composition of the armour, and it should be as high as possible. Only the combination of these two properties yields the best ballistic protection of the armour when testing using the multi-hit procedure with the use of 7.62 × 39 mm MSC and 5.56 × 45 mm SS 109 ammunition.

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The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of the main pressing parameter, i.e. temperature of a ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibrous sheet Dynee-ma® HB26, on the performance of resultant UHMWPE-fibre reinforced polymer matrix composites intended for the manufacturing of ballistic personal protection. The main goal of this research was to connect the pressing temperature of the initial polyethylene fibrous material and the main performance feature, i.e. the ballistic behaviour of the resultant composites. The polyethylene composites, designed at various temperatures, were subjected to testing of ballistic, mechanical, thermal (DSC) and structural (FTIR) properties, as well as the surface topography by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Attempts were made to determine the correlation between ballistic and mechanical properties of the various types of polyethylene composites designed and their structural and surface properties. Phenomena accompanying the pressing process of the fibrous polyethylene composites at various temperatures are discussed along with attempts to estimate the mechanisms of changes. This research allowed for the determination of optimal pressing conditions for fibrous polyethylene material to obtain a composite with optimal features for ballistic and personal protection application.

The presented research focuses on the concept of an advanced ballistic personal protection design, taking into account safety as well as performance requirements. The application of the multi-criterial analysis (MCA) allows for a comprehensive comparison of all the properties of materials and to select the optimal personal ballistic protection system, considering their mechanical and ballistic properties. The newly developed hybrid ballistic composites, consisting of two or three various components (variations of ballistic and/or non-ballistic textiles; hybrid ballistic plates—HBP), were evaluated via a multi-criterial analysis that considered a wide range of properties, describing behavior and safety usage, as well as the economical aspect of their fabrication.

The goal of this study was to build upon the composite, ballistic armor used for special applications. These armors are intended for protecting some of the most critical elements of vessels, called “cabling,” that are wires that act as the conductors for information or electricity. They are based on specially compressed ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fibrous materials. Considering the shape of the cables, which is specific to each ship, the armors were made as two variants that differed in both the profile and the structure of the composite. To protect them from the destructive impact of the marine environment, their external surfaces were covered with a special polymeric protective coat. The ballistic tests confirmed the presumed ballistic properties of the armors.