Armour
Advanced glass-ceramic materials for lightweight, high-performance personal protective equipment
Glass-Ceramic Strike-Face Technology
For a number of years glass-ceramic monoliths have been used extensively as the strike-face component of PPE inserts conforming to recognised standards such as NIJ III (+ SS109, + AK47 MSC).
One such material (HCL2087), can be formed to highly reproducible, consistent multi-curvature forms and is amongst the most efficient strike-face solutions in terms of areal density for NIJ III solutions (at 12 kg.m⁻² for 5mm thick solutions – compared with 12.72 kg.m⁻² SiC at 4mm thick).
HCL2087 offers numerous beneficial properties over other commonly used strike-face materials such as superior chemical adhesion to backing layers, very good monolithic multi-hit performance – due to high toughness and low order crack propagation characteristics.
Material Performance Comparison
| Product | Material | Density (g/cm³) | Hardness (kg/mm²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCL 2087 | Glass Ceramic | 2.4 | <800 |
| Silicon Carbide* | Silicon Carbide | 3.18 | 2,500 |
| Boron Carbide | Boron Carbide | 2.5 | 3,200 |
*typical commercial (3rd party) SiC material used for ballistic strike-face applications.
HCL 2087
Silicon Carbide
Boron Carbide
*typical commercial (3rd party) SiC material used for ballistic strike-face applications.
HCL2087 Advantages
- Superior chemical adhesion to backing layers
- Excellent monolithic multi-hit performance
- High toughness and low order crack propagation
- Lightweight solution (2.4 g/cm³ density)
- Formable to multi-curvature shapes
Technical Considerations
Nonetheless, one major drawback to widespread commercialisation of HCL2087 for use in PPE inserts is that the hardness is less than 800 kg/mm² as opposed that of SiC (typically 2500 kg/mm²).
This parameter, historically, has ruled-out HCL2087 from being used in higher-threat solutions such as NIJ IV and various STANAG standards, due to its inability to disrupt the higher hardness, higher energy projectiles. For this reason glass-ceramics are typically employed in niche applications where armour piercing threats are less commonly encountered.
NIJ IV Strike-Face Materials
High-Performance Options
There are two materials which are predominantly employed for light-weight strike-face materials in NIJ IV solutions, namely sintered silicon carbide (3.18 g/cm³, [HV10] 2,500 kg/mm²) and boron carbide (2.5 g/cm³ [HV10] 3,200 kg/mm²).
However, despite superior hardness, particularly with respect to boron carbide, there are other drawbacks such as reduced fracture toughness (2.5 – 3.0 MPa.m⁰·⁵) which can lead to premature failure of the strike-face caused by mechanical shock such as the PPE insert being dropped – which is to be considered a likely failure mode given the working environment.
Material Properties
Silicon Carbide (SiC)
- • Density: 3.18 g/cm³
- • Hardness: 2,500 kg/mm² [HV10]
- • Fracture Toughness: 2.5-3.0 MPa.m⁰·⁵
Boron Carbide (B₄C)
- • Density: 2.5 g/cm³
- • Hardness: 3,200 kg/mm² [HV10]
- • Fracture Toughness: 2.5-3.0 MPa.m⁰·⁵
Applications & Standards
NIJ III Protection
Personal protective equipment inserts for standard ballistic threats
Multi-Hit Performance
Monolithic designs for superior multi-hit ballistic resistance
Curved Plate Solutions
Multi-curvature forms for ergonomic body armour applications
Lightweight Systems
Reduced areal density for improved mobility and comfort
Military Applications
Defence and security applications requiring reliable protection
Law Enforcement
PPE solutions for police and security personnel
Why Choose Glass-Ceramic Armour
Lightweight Design
Lower density than traditional ceramic armour materials for improved mobility
Superior Adhesion
Excellent chemical bonding to backing materials for reliable performance
Multi-Hit Capability
High toughness enables effective protection against multiple impacts
Formability
Can be shaped to complex multi-curvature forms for ergonomic fit
Consistent Quality
Highly reproducible manufacturing process ensures reliable protection
Cost-Effective
Competitive areal density performance for NIJ III applications
Discuss Your Ballistic Protection Requirements
Contact our technical team to explore how our glass-ceramic armour solutions can meet your specific needs