Orthotropic vs quasi-isotropic: How the tape orientation influence the performance of disentangled polyethylene laminates

Disentangled ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (DPE) is a high-tenacity and high-modulus material having great potential for impact resistance applications. This research presents a comprehensive experimental study on the effect of orientation on the tensile and low-velocity impact performance of laminates produced from DPE tapes. The laminates were constructed by laying the DPE tape at different orientations followed by compression moulding. Quasi-isotropic laminate showed good tenacity in all directions whereas cross-ply orthotropic laminate showed the maximum tenacity in both the principal directions (0° and 90°). The impact energy absorption by the orthotropic laminate was 61.1% higher compared to that of quasi-isotropic laminate. The results imply that cross-ply laminate is the most suitable one for ballistic applications.