byaka>> Promised a review with a description,
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TE - RHA - Equivalent armor - compared with the thickness of steel armor.
EM - Mass factor. Armor weight compared to steel armor with the same protective properties
Aluminum alloy armor type Al-5XXX has a TE in the region of 0.6. This means that 100mm thick aluminum armor has the same protective properties as 60mm. steel armor. Or 100mm. RHA is 166.6mm of aluminum armor.
Alloy aluminum has 34.6% of the density of steel. EM - mass ratio of aluminum is 1.73.
For ordinary armor steel, the following coefficients are used: TE = 1, EM = 1.
All possible calculations are very approximate, in addition, various composite armor barriers have different protective properties from cumulative, opal sub-caliber and armor-piercing, with a solid core, shells. For example, the EM of titanium armor ranges from 1.44 to 1.99 depending on the material of the penetrator, the ratio of length to diameter, and speed.
Armor steel
RHA
Homogeneous rolled steel with high tensile strength (no cracking) and Brinell hardness up to 300 Brinell is the benchmark.
Such steel is obtained by alloying Manganese, Molybdenum, Vanadium, Chromium, Nickel, etc. including the use of carbon cementing and nitriding processes. The exact technology is a military secret. Armor steel is still the most important material for armor barriers, and compared to other armor materials, it is the cheapest and most easily processed.
HHA (high-hardness armor) - high hardness steel. Due to the high hardness, above 600 units. on the Brinell scale, this steel cannot be used in load-bearing structures due to brittleness. In addition, such steel cannot be produced in the form of sheets of arbitrary thickness. Therefore, it is necessary to use a multi-layer package of thin sheets. RHA The equivalent of such a steel can go up to 1.6. Such protection is used, for example, on the Leopard 1A3.
Perforated armor.
When perforating an armor barrier, holes are drilled in the armor that are less than or equal to the expected "threats". After flattening, the armor plate is hardened, while the presence of holes plays a positive role. During installation, an armored barrier is assembled from many plates, while the holes must be directed in different directions. This results in a mini-staggered booking. The most optimal drilling is at an angle so that the penetrating core of the projectile interacts with the inner walls of increased hardness and is forced to turn around. Alternatively, such plates can be installed at an angle.
The protective properties of perforated steel correspond to a steel plate of the same thickness, but thanks to the holes, perforated armor has up to 50% less weight.
Thus, such armor can be rated TE~1 and EM~2 .
Light metals.
magnesium alloys
http://www.arl.army.mil/arlreports/2007/ARL-TR-4077.pdf these are the lightest armor materials used. Thanks to various technologies, both armor and structural materials are used. BMD-1 cases made of such material. When fired from automatic weapons, magnesium armor is more durable than armor aluminum alloys than steel plates of the same weight.
In modern tanks, however, the use of marnium alloys is abandoned, because. glass-reinforced plastics are superior in performance and have a lower specific gravity.
Alloy aluminum
Aluminum alloys are used quite often in tank building. Aluminum makes it possible to lighten the load-bearing part, for example, rollers. A tank made of aluminum armor will only come if weight plays a dominant role. Due to the high cost, this material cannot replace conventional steel armor. Its usual use in BMD and light tanks
The ballistic properties of aluminum armor are somewhat better than those of steels, but require greater thicknesses and thick wallets.
alloyed titanium
The idea is to use a high-strength Titanium-Aluminum-Vanadium alloy that has almost the same strength as armor steel.
Rather, this alloy has, during shelling, 80-90% of the strength of steel, with 57% of the weight. It is not only a strong armor material, but also a good structural material for load-bearing parts. However, due to the high cost, this material is applicable only as a special armor means. Yes, and in the form of structural material there are numerous limitations.
For example, in the BMD M-2 Bradley, the commander's hatch is made of this material. As an experiment, the outer protection panels of the engine compartment and the commander's hatch were made from this material.
Ceramic armor.
Ceramic materials, having high hardness and pressure resistance, but brittle. Hardness and resistance to pressure leads to the destruction of the tips of metal projectiles and reduces the depth of penetration. Unlike metals, which behave like liquids at high pressure, which means that the projectile "floats" inside the metal, ceramics react with cracks. thereby providing greater resistance to penetration than armored steel. Sophisticated armor, with ceramics, is used almost everywhere today.
From body armor to tanks. Ceramics, by weight, can exceed steel up to 4 times. The most common ceramics are Al2O3, SiC, and B4C.
The first generation of ceramic armor.
It consists of a slab of hard material, such as borosilicate glass and plastic with a metal matrix, sandwiched with steel or aluminum slabs.
Known armor, Birlington, uses, for example, aluminum oxide tiles, assembled like a honeycomb, which are glued to ballistic nylon.
Such armored barriers, in comparison with steel ones, do not have weight advantages if they are supposed to protect against sub-caliber projectiles. However, such armor is relatively easy to manufacture and is used in places where this simplicity is a priority. For example, in light armored vehicles, helicopters. A combination of boron carbide ceramics and silicon carbide, on a steel substrate, is also used.
Second generation of ceramic armor
In the process of development, it was noticed that the protective properties of ceramics against sub-caliber ammunition could be improved if it was not so easily destroyed. To do this, it must be placed in a mold that tightly fits ceramics from three axes. destruction, the ceramic remains in place. The implementation of this solution is a complex issue of cutting and gluing technology. The ceramics are thus in "bags", inside a steel, titanium or aluminum plate. Exposed parts must be closed and welded. The sintering of the metal matrix occurs at high pressure so that the pores of the ceramic are saturated with liquid metal.
The material that is included in the ceramics must be as hard and resistant as possible. If armor steel is used for this, it must be additionally hardened. This material is followed by a thick layer of reinforced plastic, mostly aramid or glass fibers.
Chobham armor is built on this principle.
The third generation of ceramic armor.
As a result of research, it was found that the resistance of ceramic armor can be increased if it is followed by a supporting layer. Its task is to maintain the shape of the front layer so that it is not loaded with a high bending moment. Reinforced plastics are too soft for this. Upon impact, a crater occurs in it, due to which the bonded ceramic layer can be damaged. Therefore, modern protection consists of 3 layers.
The most effective, against sub-caliber shells, is an intermediate layer of hard and dense material. However, such a material that meets all the properties simply does not exist.
In order to obtain such a material, a plate of steel or nickel is taken, non-through holes are drilled in it (the technology is the same as in the manufacture of such a plate for ceramics) and filled with heavy material. Thus they are welded. After welding, hardening occurs, with an increase in hardness. Depleted uranium or tungsten is not hard enough. Therefore, ceramics based on them are used.
For example, uranium dioxide.
Such armor, using a layer of heavy metal and rubber, is called Dorchester armor.
If protection against sub-caliber projectiles is not so important, then a filler made of soft and light material can be used. For example, a laminate of two steel plates and fiberglass. You can, instead of plastic, use Balsa wood.
Metal foam can be used as a filler. Mostly aluminum. It is cut into decks or cubes and glued together.
Now, instead of fiberglass, plastics based on carbon filaments can be used. Or Kevlar.
Reactive armor.
Exploding reactive armor. It also consists of "bricks". Consists of a layer of explosives covered with a layer of steel. The main thing is that when the "brick" is triggered, the neighboring block does not work. Therefore, there is always a distance between them.
The first generation - protected only from cumulative ammunition.
Second generation. Structurally, everything is the same. But the top plate is thick and hard armor material. It gave additional protection from sub-caliber shots, as it made the penetrator spin.
Third generation.
This armor is integrated into a complex armor barrier. It does without explosives.
NERA (Non-explosive reactive armour) . Made up of plates solid metal and plastic rubber .. They are installed at an angle. This armor is not as effective as the exploding versions, but it does protect against tandem ammo.
Broken armor.
It consists of several layers, between which there is a layer of air.
The principle is that for cumulative ammunition, the effectiveness strongly depends on the distance to the plate at which the detonation occurs. In addition, such armor completely removes the problem of armor-piercing shells with a crushing head and plastic explosives.
First generation.
At first, simple armor was used, with a constant distance between the layers. For example, aprons.
Second generation
Improved version, with dampeners between layers. Usually made of rubber.
There is an integrated version of spaced booking. This is when there is a layer of plastic or polyurethane, polyethylene, polystyrene between the layers. The first versions of the T-72 had such hull armor. The same reinforcement was planned for the Leopard series of tanks.
Third generation.
Sandwich of two steel plates, between them a rubber filler with NERA effect. As an alternative, layers with ceramics.
Reactive armor Cactus or Contact-5 are also built on the principle of spaced armor. This build causes projectiles and penetrators to rotate and reduces their penetrating ability.
reinforced plastics.
They have low density, good insulating properties against heat (napalm), noise, and are used in vehicles and tanks as protective layers.
The agenda of the HMBIA meeting in Vaduz turned out to be rich in important questions. The most important of them was the issue of determining the metals that can officially be used in the IMB.
This is very relevant, because the controversy over the use of certain materials has been going on for more than a year. Officially, 4 types of metals are allowed for use in the ISB: ordinary structural steel(type CT3, etc.), high-carbon steel (which can be hardened; for example, 65G), titanium and stainless steel.
Each of these materials has its own disadvantages and advantages. Let's try to figure out what they are and how they differ from other materials.
Ordinary structural steel (for example, CT3)
Popularly referred to simply as iron. By and large, for a very long time it was the main material for the manufacture of all types of armor, from a helmet to body armor and limb protection. CT3 is, as it were, a template from which they are repelled when explaining the qualities of other materials, since it is the most widely used, and now its characteristics are quite well known.
Main advantage This material is that it is the cheapest compared to others and is quite easy to process. CT3 is easy to buy, it's actually cheap, and, roughly speaking, it's not a pity to spoil it. Therefore, the vast majority of people who make their own armor start with CT3, novice blacksmiths also make their first work from CT3, and in fact the vast majority of all armor is also ordered in CT3. Cheap and cheerful, as they say.
disadvantages CT3 are the impossibility of hardening it (which affects the strength of the armor) and the need to use a significant thickness of the metal so that it gives the necessary protective qualities. And this, in turn, affects the weight - the armor becomes heavier, otherwise they simply will not protect well. A helmet, seamless or welded from 2mm CT3, is unlikely to last long with you, and in a season or even less it will have to be repaired or replaced. CT3 is allowed for use in all types of armor.
High carbon steels that can be hardened
Armor made from these steels is significantly more expensive than CT3, due to the fact that these steels themselves are much more expensive and more difficult to process, moreover, they can be hardened, which also affects the price.
Main advantage of these steel grades - that they are stronger, subject to hardening, which means that you can use thinner metal and win in the weight of the armor. While CT3 thinner than 1 mm should not be used for brigand wide plate armor, 65G can be used with a thickness of 0.8 mm, and in the case of small plate, even 0.5 mm. This makes the armor much lighter and directly affects your performance in combat. And don't forget about the total weight during transportation: a 30 kg armor will be much more expensive to carry on an airplane than an 18 kg armor.
By and large, significant shortcomings these species do not have steel, which is why they are the standard of what should be used when equipping a fighter. Even their price is not so high as to make large-scale use impossible. Now more and more fighters are putting on hardened armor and see this as a huge advantage. A helmet made of 2.5 mm ST3, limb protection made of 1.2 - 1.5 mm ST3 and a bragantine made of 1 mm ST3, can be replaced with a 2mm helmet made of 65G, limb protection 1 mm 65G and a hardened brigantine 0.8 65G, and you, without losing anything in protection , gain 25-30% lighter armor. If you want to fully respect the historicity, while getting excellent functional qualities armor at an adequate price, then hardened steel is your right choice.
Titanium
Regarding titanium, its acceptability and admission to events, there is a lot of discussion. The main argument against titanium armor is that it is unhistorical and gives a huge advantage in battle to the one who uses it, due to its minimal weight. With regard to historicity, it should be noted that we strive to observe external aesthetics and the correct appearance armor, while the materials used are not always entirely historical. don't forget that even the hardened steels we use have different physical characteristics from the medieval ones, the way they are made is completely different, and the method of making armor is also very different. This applies not only to steel, but also to fabrics and even leather. They are now produced in a different way, so you should not go in cycles in the HMB with the “go to the mountains, mine for the helmet” approach.
Regarding the fact that titanium provides an advantage, this is also not entirely true. The titanium alloys used in the manufacture of armor are only 30% lighter than steel, while their hardness cannot be compared. Even plates for brigantines thinner than 1 mm are not made from titanium, because they simply will not take a hit. Basically, a thickness of 1-1.2 mm is taken, which corresponds in weight to 0.7-0.8 mm of steel, which, when hardened, will give much better protection. Therefore, the myth that titanium in armor is lighter is due to the fact that it is compared to CT3, and not to good hardened steel armor. Another disadvantage of titanium is its high cost (perhaps the most expensive armor material in ISB) and the complexity of processing. Not every blacksmith can process titanium and has the appropriate equipment. Therefore, we can conclude that the use of titanium has its advantages, but it is very expensive, and it is quite possible to replace it with hardened steel.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel armor in ISB is considered practically eternal, and this is not far from the truth. Of course, such armor does not corrode, it is stronger than from CT3 (because stainless steel has a much greater hardness) and really last a very long time, often passing from generation to generation, from one fighter to another, or becoming the “signature” thing of some specific fighter. Moreover, when properly processed, when they get a matte polish, they are visually impossible to distinguish from CT3 or hardened steel (remember, it is not necessary to polish the stainless steel “in a mirror”, because although it keeps such a polish almost forever, it actually not very historical).
However, this armor has three flaws, one of which is practically critical for use in the ISB. Firstly, stainless steel is more expensive, although it is still cheaper than titanium. Secondly, it is difficult to process, and making armor from it requires a lot of labor. These two drawbacks make stainless steel armor much more expensive than similar ones even made from hardened steel. And the main drawback is that stainless steel is about one and a half times heavier than ST3. But this drawback is very significant if you want to achieve good sports results. Although a stainless steel helmet will look great, protect well and even dampen the impact with its mass, it will weigh 7-8 kilograms and greatly affect your endurance, and its frequent use in training can lead to injury of the cervical vertebrae. The same applies to body protection and limb protection - reliable, durable, but very heavy and can lead to injuries from overload. Just imagine that your armor can weigh 35-40 kilograms and think about what you can achieve in it in the competitive arena and how long you will last. And you are also provided with baggage overload on the plane.
Thus, we have considered all four metals officially allowed for use in IMB. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it's up to you to choose what suits you best. Although even among them one can single out a leader who will pass both the historical commission and protection requirements and at the same time maintain an adequate price - hardened steel.
The choice is yours, but don't forget that the money you invest in armor is an investment in your health, and it's not worth saving much on it.
All protective structures of body armor can be divided into five groups, depending on the materials used:
Textile (woven) armor based on aramid fibers
Today, ballistic fabrics based on aramid fibers are the basic material for civilian and military body armor. Ballistic fabrics are produced in many countries of the world and differ significantly not only in names, but also in characteristics. Abroad, these are Kevlar (USA) and Twaron (Europe), and in Russia - a number of aramid fibers, which differ markedly from American and European ones in their chemical properties.
What is aramid fiber? Aramid looks like thin yellow gossamer fibers (other colors are very rarely used). Aramid threads are woven from these fibers, and ballistic fabric is subsequently made from the threads. Aramid fiber has a very high mechanical strength.
Most experts in the field of body armor development believe that the potential of Russian aramid fibers has not yet been fully realized. For example, armor structures made from our aramid fibers are superior to foreign ones in terms of "protection characteristics / weight". And some composite structures in this indicator are no worse than structures made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). At the same time, the physical density of UHMWPE is 1.5 times less.
Ballistic fabric brands:
- Kevlar ® (DuPont, USA)
- Twaron ® (Teijin Aramid, Netherlands)
- SVM, RUSAR® (Russia)
- Heracron® (Colon, Korea)
Metal armor based on steel (titanium) and aluminum alloys
After a long break from the days of medieval armor, armor plates were made of steel and were widely used during the First and Second World Wars. Light alloys began to be used later. For example, during the war in Afghanistan, body armor with elements of armor aluminum and titanium became widespread. Modern armor alloys make it possible to reduce the thickness of panels by two to three times compared to panels made of steel, and, consequently, reduce the weight of the product by two to three times.
Aluminum armor. Aluminum outperforms steel armor, providing protection against 12.7mm or 14.5mm AP bullets. In addition, aluminum is provided with a raw material base, is more technologically advanced, welds well and has a unique anti-fragmentation and anti-mine protection.
titanium alloys. The main advantage of titanium alloys is the combination of corrosion resistance and high mechanical properties. To obtain a titanium alloy with predetermined properties, it is alloyed with chromium, aluminum, molybdenum and other elements.
Ceramic armor based on composite ceramic elements
Since the beginning of the 80s, ceramic materials have been used in the production of armored clothing, surpassing metals in terms of the "degree of protection / weight" ratio. However, the use of ceramics is only possible in combination with ballistic fiber composites. At the same time, it is necessary to solve the problem of low survivability of such armored panels. Also, it is not always possible to effectively realize all the properties of ceramics, since such an armored panel requires careful handling.
In the Russian Ministry of Defense, the task of high survivability of ceramic armor panels was identified back in the 1990s. Until then, ceramic armor panels were much inferior to steel ones in this indicator. Thanks to this approach, today Russian troops have a reliable design - armored panels of the "Granit-4" family.
The bulk of body armor abroad consists of composite armor panels, which are made from solid ceramic monoplates. The reason for this is that for a soldier during combat operations, the chance of being repeatedly hit in the area of the same armor panel is extremely small. Secondly, such products are much more technologically advanced; less labor-intensive, and hence their cost is much lower than the cost of a set of smaller tiles.
Used elements:
- Aluminum oxide (corundum);
- Boron carbide;
- Silicon carbide.
Composite armor based on high modulus polyethylene (laminated plastic)
To date, armor panels based on UHMWPE fibers (ultra-high-modulus polyethylene) are considered the most advanced type of armored clothing from class 1 to 3 (in terms of weight).
UHMWPE fibers have high strength, catching up with aramid ones. Ballistic products made of UHMWPE have positive buoyancy and do not lose their protective properties, unlike aramid fibers. However, UHMWPE is completely unsuitable for the manufacture of body armor for the army. In military conditions, there is a high probability that the bulletproof vest will come into contact with fire or hot objects. Moreover, body armor is often used as bedding. And UHMWPE, no matter what properties it has, still remains polyethylene, the maximum operating temperature of which does not exceed 90 degrees Celsius. However, UHMWPE is excellent for making police vests.
It is worth noting that a soft armor panel made of a fibrous composite is not capable of providing protection against bullets with a carbide or heat-strengthened core. The maximum that a soft fabric structure can provide is protection from pistol bullets and shrapnel. To protect against bullets from long-barreled weapons, it is necessary to use armored panels. When hit by a bullet from a long gun, it creates high concentration energy in a small area, moreover, such a bullet is a sharp striking element. Soft fabrics in bags of reasonable thickness will no longer hold them. That is why it is advisable to use UHMWPE in a design with a composite base of armored panels.
The main suppliers of UHMWPE aramid fibers for ballistic products are:
- Dyneema® (DSM, Netherlands)
- Spectra® (USA)
Combined (layered) armor
Materials for body armor combined type are selected depending on the conditions in which armored clothing will be used. NIB developers combine the materials used and use them together - thus, it was possible to significantly improve the protective properties of body armor. Textile-metal, ceramic-organoplastic and other types of combined armor are widely used today throughout the world.
The level of protection of body armor varies depending on the materials used in it. However, today not only the materials for bulletproof vests themselves play a decisive role, but also special coatings. Thanks to the advances in nanotechnology, models are already being developed whose impact resistance has been increased many times over while significantly reducing thickness and weight. This possibility arises due to the application of a special gel with nano-cleaners to the hydrophobized Kevlar, which increases the resistance of Kevlar to dynamic impact by five times. Such armor can significantly reduce the size of the body armor, while maintaining the same protection class.
Read about the classification of PPE.
If we compare titanium as armor against all types of weapons and other metals, alloys and substances, also like armor? and got the best answer
Answer from Eujin Chemic[guru]
What answer do you want to get for your question? I get it, titanium sounds cool. but there is specific tasks and they have their solutions. Titanium combines light strength and corrosion resistance. - does not rust. but at the same time it is not cheap either .. it is optimal to use not a solid armor plate, but a pie made of hard alloys glued with a composite - resin - such a cake has a higher bullet-stopping ability .. if we talk about armored vehicles and equipment in general - they use 2 and 3-layer frames .. if you are interested in the topic, then read what people have already invented ... a million options have been tested and every ammunition has its own protection, just like every defense has its own ammunition .. look at the situation - if a Russian tank cannot penetrate a Russian tank, is the armor good or the gun bad ?? ? understood?
Answer from Mikhail Yanshitov[guru]
Special armor alloys are superior to titanium in protection (if we compare the same plates). That is, a titanium alloy plate must be thicker than a steel plate to provide equivalent protection. But titanium armor is lighter and of course more expensive.
Answer from Ah Bri[guru]
ignoramuses who do not understand the basics of sopromat make sense to answer something. Depends on the alloy, shape, type of deformation, and so on thousand factors.
Answer from Striped giraffe Alik[guru]
An almost immodest question: "And what metal is your forehead?" From your questions, it is clear that it is metal. Can you be more specific?
Answer from Butylkin[master]
Titanium is primarily a lightweight material providing good strength.
Any metal armor alloy that doesn't have a weight requirement will be better.
Answer from Krab Bark[guru]
..then titanium will be worse. Which armor is better depends on the type and caliber of the projectile and the angle of impact, but all the possibilities of titanium are blocked by a combination of steel and aluminum armor, and composite armor with ceramics and plastics is even better.
Answer from 3 answers[guru]