Ballistic Blog News
New Materials, News Snippets, White papers, Seminars etc
Why Composite Armours are coming more into the forefront of Vehicle Armour Technology
“Fibres absorb energy primarily through the shared electron bonds that form their molecular construction, with the lighter elements offering a greater proportion of shareable electrons and higher strength for their weight. Consequently, materials such as Kevlar, carbon-graphite, Spectra, and other fibres, can offer three to four times the penetration resistance per mass over steel.”
Taken from: Canadian American Strategic Review - http://www.sfu.ca/casr/id-rea2-1.htm
Glass to be eventually replaced by Transparent Ceramic Armour
The Air Force Research Laboratory's materials and manufacturing directorate is testing aluminium oxynitride -- ALONtm -- as a replacement for the traditional multi-layered glass transparencies now used in existing ground and air armoured vehicles….
“The substance itself is light years ahead of glass," he said, adding that it offers "higher performance and lighter weight”… In a June 2004 demonstration, an ALONtm test pieces held up to both a .30 calibre Russian M-44 sniper rifle and a .50 calibre Browning Sniper Rifle with armour piercing bullets. While the bullets pierced the glass samples, the armour withstood the impact with no penetration.
Taken from: Air Force Links - http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123012131
"Our material made using HIP is remarkably harder than the current ceramic armour used in the Iraq and Afghanistan theatres," Speyer said. "Plus, because we're not using uni-axial hot pressing, we can make complicated, curved shapes for use in form-fitting body armour and other applications…”
Taken from The Engineer online: http://www.e4engineering.com/Channels/Default.aspx?liChannelID=10&liSlotID=115
Optimal Armour Ltd are keeping pace with these developments. We have materials technologists & armour designers that constantly look at new & improved armour systems. As new information becomes available, we will update our Blog accordingly:
Optimal Armour Sales & Design: 01784 246685 or 07817 223070
Optimal Armour Manufacturing: 01384 242332