Honeywell Grows Spectra Shield Portfolio with New Ballistic Materials that Lighten Body Armor

New materials designed to reduce weight and improve safety of military and law enforcement armor

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Jan 18, 2011, 10:00 ET

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J., Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that it has added new ballistic materials to its Spectra Shield® II line that offer further weight reduction, greater ballistic performance, and improved safety in soft armor applications, including military and law enforcement vests.

The new product, Spectra Shield II SA 4144, offers a 25 percent improvement in ballistic performance compared with the first generation of Spectra Shield products, helping keep military and law enforcement personnel safer against a variety of threats, including military-grade pistol rounds and fragments. The material can also reduce the weight of personal armor systems by as much as 30 percent, allowing frontline personnel greater mobility in dangerous situations.

"Honeywell's latest Spectra Shield II product reflects our continued commitment to lightening loads and improving maneuverability in the field for soldiers and law enforcement officers, while providing them with a world-class bullet-resistant material," said Phil Wojcik, global business director for Honeywell's Advanced Fibers and Composites business. "The development of new materials that reduce weight and improve ballistic performance is critical to protecting those in harm's way from the dangers they face."

The material achieves new levels of weight reduction while meeting the NIJ .06 ballistic vest certification standard set by the National Institute of Justice, the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Spectra Shield is an advanced ballistic-resistant material that incorporates Honeywell's high-strength Spectra® fiber, which is 15 times stronger than steel pound-for-pound, but is light enough to float. Shield technology is a patented Honeywell process designed to optimize the ballistic performance characteristics of Spectra as well as aramid fiber.

Spectra fiber is made from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene using a patented gel-spinning process. It has up to 60 percent greater strength than alternate aramid fiber.

Spectra Shield and Spectra Shield II products have been widely adopted and proven for the most advanced armor applications globally – from bullet-resistant vests, breast plates, and helmets, to combat vehicles and military aircraft – where lightweight solutions and durability are critical.

To learn more about Spectra fiber, visit www.honeywell.com/spectra.

Honeywell Specialty Materials is a global leader in providing customers with high-performance specialty materials, including fluorine products; specialty films and additives; advanced fibers and composites; intermediates; specialty chemicals; electronic materials and chemicals; and technologies and materials for petroleum refining.

Honeywell International (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. Based in Morris Township, N.J., Honeywell's shares are traded on the New York, London, and Chicago Stock Exchanges. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywellnow.com.

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Honeywell