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Oct 14, 2024

Fully Recycled Ballistic Helmet Prototype at Enforce Tac 2024

Busch PROtective and Teijin Aramid are making significant strides in sustainability by collaborating on the production of a fully recycled ballistic helmet. Rob Woudman, the Global Market Manager for

Busch PROtective and Teijin Aramid are making significant strides in sustainability by collaborating on the production of a fully recycled ballistic helmet. Rob Woudman, the Global Market Manager for Ballistic Protection at Teijin Aramid, discusses the helmet prototype in an exclusive interview at Enforce Tac 2024.

Teijin Aramid’s has a legacy of sustainability, inherited from its parent organization, Teijin Limited. This aligns seamlessly with Busch PROtective’s ethos under the leadership of Edwin Bush. Both companies have a deep committement to circularity and minimizing their environmental footprint.

Teijin Aramid’s Physical Recycling Process wherein end-of-life materials are reverted to fiber, then spun and turned into Twaron filament yarn, sparked an interest at Busch PROtective. This turned out to be the perfect opportunity for a fruitful collaboration between the two companies.

Here you can watch a video of Mr. Rob Woudman presenting the helmet prototype.

Recycling a helmet poses unique challenges compared to recycling a vest. Bullet-resistant vests consist primarily of dry fabric with minimal or no resin. However, ballistic helmets contain aramid embedded in resin, requiring a more complex substance-separation process.

Despite these challenges, Teijin Aramid has partnered with companies proficient in resin separation to explore helmet recycling possibilities. Mr. Rob Woudman mentions that the quality of the substance-separation process depends on the resin type. He continues to explain that this is not a cheap nor easy process, as the aramid and reisin are processed in a way that specifically guards against their separation.

Busch Protective have successfully produced a prototype helmet using recycled Twaron. Extensive testing confirmed that the helmet prototype performs at the same level as its counterparts made from new materials. Teijin Aramid also ran several production trials proving that they can undergo this process in a consistent and reliable manner.

Mr. Rob Woudman mentions that the commercialization timeline is dependent on the helmet manufacturers, as bringing the final product to the market is their responsability.

Busch Protective’s and Teijin Aramid’s showcase their commitment to sustainability and innovation through their collaborative pursuit of a fully recycled ballistic helmet. By addressing the challenges of helmet recycling and advancing their production capabilities, they are close to entering a new era of sustainable head protection.

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