Transparent Glass Fiber Reinforced Armor

Mayaterials will team with the Drzal group at Michigan State University, the Laine group at University of Michigan and PPG Industries to develop transparent, fiber glass reinforced composites (FRCs) with mechanical properties superior to opaque FRCs. Mayaterials IP uses silsesquioxane nanobuilding blocks to develop and refine epoxy, hydrocarbon, urethane and polycarbonate matrices with refractive indices (RIs) tailored to 0.01 of the RIs of S and E glass and an optical fiber (RI = 1.465). The IP allows the introduction of multiple functional groups on the same silsesquioxane up to a total of eight. In this way we are able to tailor CTEs, RIs, birefringent properties and especially mechanical properties at nanometer length scales allowing the finest control of global properties possible. In this Phase II program we will scale syntheses, cast samples of matrix materials to optimize all properties. Simultaneously we will make unidirectional FRCs and then 0/90 cross-ply FRCs refining all optical and mechanical properties. Samples with 60-70 wt % fibers will be processed for ballistic testing at Natick Laboratories and at PPG. Iterations on various syntheses, processing and curing processes will allow properties optimization. Selected studies will explore the effects of aging and CTE on optical properties.