"Hello computer"
Posted on 10/19/2005 8:34:32 PM PDT by Termite_Commander
A new type of transparent armor made of aluminum could one day replace glass in military vehicles.
The product is called aluminum oxynitride. It is being tested by the Army and the University of Dayton Research Institute in Ohio.
The material is a ceramic compound with a high compressive strength and durability, according to an Army statement issued this week. It performs better than the multilayered glass products currently in use, and its about half the weight. It is virtually scratch-resistant.
"The substance itself is light-years ahead of glass," said 1st Lt. Joseph La Monica, who heads the research.
Glass is still used in the new process, being sandwhiched between an outer layer of the polished aluminum oxynitride and a polymer backing.
.50-caliber test
In a test this summer, the product held up to a .50-caliber sniper's rifle with amor-piercing bullets. Traditional glass armor did not survive the test.
Officials hope the product will prove even more useful when considering more severe threats, such as explosives.
"The higher the threat, the more savings you're going to get," La Monica said. "With glass, to get the protection against higher threats, you have to keep building layers upon layers. But with [the new product], the material only needs to be increased a few millimeters."
"Achieving protection at lighter weights will allow the armor to be more easily integrated into vehicles," said Ron Hoffman, a researcher at University of Dayton Research Institute.
Cost vs. Durability
Time, blowing sand and other environmental factors degrade glass surfaces. The aluminum material is expected to retain its clarity for much longer.
"It all comes down to survivability and being able to see what's out there and to make decisions while having the added protection," Hoffman said.
The military is considering installing the aluminum windows on Humvees and low-flying, slower aircraft like the the C-130 Hercules.
The holdup for now is price.
Traditional transparent armor costs less than $4 per square inch. The aluminum oxynitride is now at least $10 per square inch. That price would come down with mass production. And the material's longevity would make it cost less than the initial price tag would indicate.
"It might cost more in the beginning, but it is going to cost less in the long run because you are going to have to replace it less," La Monica said.
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Transparent aluminum, just like Star Trek... IV was it?
Captain, there be whales here. - Scotty.
Interesting! bump
They can have personal one man human movers and be boxed in as you pass through a dangerous areas.
"Hello computer"
I can see there are alot of Star Trek fans on this thread. :-)
The paradox has begun.
computer...... LOL
It is already fully oxidized, so in a sense it has already been burned to the extent possible.
The US has been using transparent aluminum ceramics in very advanced weapon components for quite some time and our ability to fabricate it and work it has given us quite an advantage as this material has capabilities far outside the realm of any plausible substitute. It is nice to see that fabrication has become cheap enough for bulk product that they can use it in armor.
One of the other advantages this stuff has, beside being extremely tough and virtually impervious to all types of environmental damage, is that is transparent across a broad range of infrared as well visible light. One of the classical uses of it has been to protect the sensitive IR optical components of weapons operating under extreme environmental conditions -- think hypersonic terminal guidance where air friction alone is enough to ablate and melt most conventional materials.
Who makes it?
Should a man who uses the term 'light-year' to describe a unit of time be in charge of research?
bump
How do we know he didn't invent the bloody thing? - scotty
light-years - LOL, good one.
Not sure how many others, or if the two above are making the kind used in the article at the top of the thread...still, the title is suggestive.
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