Lightweight Ceramic Armor (LCA)
Abstract
(U)The Lightweight Ceramic Armor (LCA) program leverages recent breakthroughs in novel ceramic fabrication processes developed in the Materials Processing Technology project to drive a dramatic performance shift in the trade-off between weight and ballistic projectile protection of body armor. Currently fielded Boron Carbide body armor is heavy and limited in the diversity of shapes that may be molded. Its weight and bulk limit a soldier’s agility and mobility, and its cost prohibits consideration of using it to protect vehicles. Recent breakthroughs in ceramics processing technology offers the opportunity for cost effective fabrication of molded shapes, the retention of nanostructured grains for significantly higher energy dissipation, a fifty percent reduction in weight for equal ballistic protection, and similar reduction in cost. The focus areas of the program are: the optimization of the material composition and nanostructure for maximum protection per unit weight and cost, and scale up of the fabrication technology to body armor size scale articles. The program will additionally investigate the potential for the development of dramatically improved ballistic armored headgear along these same lines.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2011
- Source ID
- 4742a6c64122ed501e082ac2c6aae647
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- Root: TACTICAL TECHNOLOGY