TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to protective garments with components made from stiff composites. More particularly, the invention related to protective garments with components made from composites containing an alternating pattern containing groupings of woven fabric and groupings of biaxially oriented thermoplastic films.

BACKGROUND

Composites are being utilized more in different applications where there is a need for a specific stiffness and/or toughness while minimizing weight and cost. There is a need for protective garments to use composites for the desired physical properties at a low price point.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The disclosure relates to a protective garment containing a composite having an upper and lower surface and an alternating pattern containing groupings of woven fabric and groupings of biaxially oriented thermoplastic films. The composite has a thickness defined to be the distance between the upper and lower surfaces of greater than about 5 mm. Each grouping of woven fabric comprises at least one woven fabric layer, each woven fabric layer comprising warp tape elements in a warp direction and weft tape elements in a weft direction which is approximately perpendicular to the warp direction. The tape elements comprise a base layer of a strain oriented olefin polymer disposed between covering layers of a heat fusible olefin polymer. The warp tape elements and weft tape elements within the woven fabric layer are interwoven and crossover each other at crossover points and the warp elements are bonded to the weft elements within the woven fabric layer at the crossover points. Each grouping of biaxially oriented thermoplastic films comprises at least one biaxially oriented thermoplastic film, where each film comprises a core layer of thermoplastic disposed between covering layers of a thermoplastic able to bond to polypropylene. The layers within each grouping are bonded together, the woven fabric layers and adjacent biaxially oriented thermoplastic films are bonded together, and the total thickness of woven fabric layers to biaxially oriented thermoplastic films within the composite is between about 2:1 to 1:50.

