Abstract:

Introduction of more and more effective body ballistic shields, especially for head, allowed decreasing of the extent of injuries caused by projectiles and fragments. Application of modern materials (aramides, high molecular weight polyethylene) reduced the risk of projectile penetration through the shield, resulting in reduction of contact injuries, head trauma, breaking of skull bones and brain damage caused by penetrating bullet. Standard tests for determination of ballistic resistance of helmets define penetration of a projectile into ballistic shield and deflexion of shell. The energy of shot is partially absorbed by helmet, but it is mostly transmitted to a head, giving it a linear and/or angular acceleration. This phenomenon is a direct cause of inertial trauma. Performed tests, proved that optimisation of ballistic helmet’s construction is a very complex process and it depends on many parameters starting from the shape of a shell ending with fixing-absorbing solutions.