Viscoelastic protective armor liners and protective armor

Abstract

Viscoelastic trauma attenuating backings for use in body armor to reduce non-penetrating shockwave injuries. In particular, a protective armor liner comprising a viscoelastic material and graphene nanoplatelets. Also described is a protective armor comprising a protective armor liner disposed therein or disposed thereon, wherein the protective armor liner comprises a viscoelastic material and graphene nanoplatelets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A protective armor liner, wherein the armor liner comprises a viscoelastic material and graphene nanoplatelets. 
     
     
         2 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, rubber, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic material comprises a polyurethane viscoelastic material, silicon rubber-based viscoelastic material, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the viscoelastic material comprises a platinum-catalyzed silicone rubber, urethane rubber, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the armor liner comprises about 5 wt % or less, about 4 wt % or less, about 2 wt % or less, about 1.9 wt % or less, about 1.8 wt % or less, about 1.7 wt % or less, about 1.6 wt % or less, about 1.5 wt % or less, about 1.4 wt % or less, about 1.3 wt % or less, about 1.2 wt % or less, about 1.1 wt % or less, about 1.0 wt % or less, about 0.9 wt % or less, about 0.8 wt % or less, about 0.7 wt % or less, about 0.6 wt % or less, about 0.5 wt % or less, about 0.4 wt % or less, about 0.3 wt % or less, about 0.2 wt % or less, or about 0.1 wt % or less of the graphene nanoplatelets. 
     
     
         6 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the armor liner comprises from about 0.25 wt % to about 5 wt %, from about 0.25 wt % to about 4 wt %, from about 0.25 wt % to about 3 wt %, from about 0.25 wt % to about 2 wt %, from about 0.5 wt % to about 2 wt %, from about 1.0 wt % to about 2 wt %, or from about 1.5 wt % to about 2 wt % of the graphene nanoplatelets. 
     
     
         7 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the armor liner has a thickness of about 10 mm or less, about 9 mm or less, about 8 mm or less, about 7 mm or less, about 6 mm or less, about 5 mm or less, about 4 mm or less, about 3 mm or less, about 2 mm or less, or about 1 mm or less. 
     
     
         8 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the armor liner has a thickness of from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 9 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 8 mm, from about 0.5 mm to about 7 mm, from about 1 mm to about 7 mm, from about 1 mm to about 6 mm, from about 1 mm to about 5 mm, from about 1 mm to about 4 mm, or from about 1 mm to about 3 mm. 
     
     
         9 . The armor liner of  claim 1 , wherein the armor liner comprises multiple layers of the viscoelastic material and graphene nanoplatelets. 
     
     
         10 . The armor liner of  claim 9 , wherein each layer of viscoelastic material and graphene nanoplatelets has a thickness of about 10 mm or less, about 9 mm or less, about 8 mm or less, about 7 mm or less, about 6 mm or less, about 5 mm or less, about 4 mm or less, about 3 mm or less, about 2 mm or less, about 1 mm or less, about 0.5 mm or less, about 0.1 mm or less, about 0.05 mm or less, about 0.01 mm or less, about 0.005 mm or less, about 0.001 mm or less, about 0.0005 mm or less, or about 0.0001 mm or less. 
     
     
         11 . A protective armor comprising a protective armor liner disposed therein or disposed thereon, wherein the protective armor liner comprises a viscoelastic material and graphene nanoplatelets. 
     
     
         12 . The protective armor of  claim 11 , wherein the viscoelastic material comprises polyurethane. 
     
     
         13 . The protective armor of  claim 12 , wherein the dissipation factor for a frequency of from about 20 Hz to 1,000,000 Hz is about 1 or less, about 0.75 or less, about 0.5 or less, about 0.25 or less, or about 0.1 or less. 
     
     
         14 . The protective armor of  claim 11 , wherein the viscoelastic material comprises a silicon rubber-based viscoelastic material. 
     
     
         15 . The protective armor of  claim 14 , wherein the dissipation factor for a frequency of from about 20 Hz to 1,000,000 Hz is about 0.015 or less, about 0.01 or less, about 0.005 or less, or about 0.001 or less. 
     
     
         16 . The protective armor of  claim 11 , wherein the protective armor achieves a shockwave velocity reduction as compared to a protective armor without the protective armor liner, of about 1% or greater, about 2.5% or greater, about 5% or greater, about 6% or greater, about 7% or greater, about 8% or greater, about 9% or greater, about 10% or greater, about 11% or greater. about 12% or greater. about 13% or greater, about 14% or greater, about 15% or greater, about 16% or greater, about 17% or greater, about 18% or greater, about 19% or greater, or about 20% or greater.