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Title: Development of high-density ceramic composites for ballistic applications

Conference ·
OSTI ID:143177
; ;  [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Army Research Lab., Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (United States)
  2. Nuclear Metals Incorporated, Concord, MA (United States)

The application of ceramic composites for ballistic application has been generally developed with ceramics of low density, between 2.5 and 4.5 g/cm{sup 2}. These materials have offered good performance in defeating small-caliber penetrators, but can suffer time-dependent degradation effects when thicker ceramic tiles are needed to defeat modem, longer, heavy metal penetrators that erode rather than break up. This paper addresses the ongoing development, fabrication procedures, analysis, and ballistic evaluation of thinner, denser ceramics for use in armor applications. Nuclear Metals Incorporated (NMI) developed a process for the manufacture of depleted uranium (DU) ceramics. Samples of the ceramics have been supplied to the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) as part of an unfunded cooperative study agreement. The fabrication processes used, characterization of the ceramic, and a ballistic comparison between the DU-based ceramic with baseline Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} will be presented.

OSTI ID:
143177
Report Number(s):
CONF-930246-; ISBN 0-87339-251-5; TRN: IM9413%%37
Resource Relation:
Conference: Advanced composites `93: international conference on advanced composite materials (ICACM), Wollongong (Australia), 15-19 Feb 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993; Related Information: Is Part Of Advanced composites 1993; Chandra, T. [ed.] [Univ. of Wollongong (Australia)]; Dhingra, A.K. [ed.] [DuPont, Wilmington, DE (United States)]; PB: 1464 p.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English