All type of materials, either inorganic or organic (polymeric), behave differently depending on the environmental conditions and especially the environmental temperatures. Each material shows different mechanical performance, when it is exposed at higher temperatures than when it is exposed at lower ones. And this is because materials' behavior depends on their particular chemical and physical properties.
Comparing inorganic and organic materials, normally the former are more resistant to changes in temperatures than the latter. The reason of that is because the organic (polymeric) materials might suffer tremendous molecular rearrangements when they are at different temperatures. These physical properties variations can dramatically change some of their key functional properties, in such a way that a useful material at 20ºC can be completely useless at higher or lower temperatures, like for example +80ºC or -30ºC.
Bullet Resistant Glass (BRG) structures, made from the combination of different inorgainc and polymeric materials, are "terribly difficult" cases to deal with. These compound-type of products, due to their high requirements, are extremely dependent on the particular mechanical performance of any one of their components.
The BRG interlayers, used to joint and manage the energy when the structures are hit by impacts, are especially relevant elements for the BRG structures. And that is because they strongly contribute to the performance and robustness of the BRG structures when impacts hit them below -10ºC or higher than +50ºC.
The attached file contains some information and data about the resistance of one test structures we have manufactured to analyze and determine the mechanical contribution of one of our TPU interlayers, when the structures were frozen at -30ºC and heated at +80ºC and submited to normalized BR6 impacts.
To know about the facts of our testing work, you can download our related document .