EP1166030A2 - Blindage composite et procede de fabrication - Google Patents

Blindage composite et procede de fabrication

Info

Publication number
EP1166030A2
EP1166030A2 EP00952131A EP00952131A EP1166030A2 EP 1166030 A2 EP1166030 A2 EP 1166030A2 EP 00952131 A EP00952131 A EP 00952131A EP 00952131 A EP00952131 A EP 00952131A EP 1166030 A2 EP1166030 A2 EP 1166030A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
bonded
reaction
armored
silicon carbide
fiber
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP00952131A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Paul Compere
William S. Darden
Monte A. Treasure
Robert E. Singler
Gary S. Dibona
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Textron Systems Corp
Original Assignee
Textron Systems Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Textron Systems Corp filed Critical Textron Systems Corp
Publication of EP1166030A2 publication Critical patent/EP1166030A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F41—WEAPONS
    • F41H—ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL
    • F41H5/00—Armour; Armour plates
    • F41H5/02—Plate construction
    • F41H5/04—Plate construction composed of more than one layer
    • F41H5/0414—Layered armour containing ceramic material
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    • C04B35/00—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products
    • C04B35/515—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on non-oxide ceramics
    • C04B35/56—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on non-oxide ceramics based on carbides or oxycarbides
    • C04B35/563—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on non-oxide ceramics based on carbides or oxycarbides based on boron carbide
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    • C04B35/565—Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition; Ceramics compositions; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products based on non-oxide ceramics based on carbides or oxycarbides based on silicon carbide
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    • C04B35/71—Ceramic products containing macroscopic reinforcing agents
    • C04B35/78—Ceramic products containing macroscopic reinforcing agents containing non-metallic materials
    • C04B35/80—Fibres, filaments, whiskers, platelets, or the like
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Definitions

  • Conventional armor typically includes a monolithic element, such as aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), silicon carbide (SiC) or boron carbide (B 4 C), attached to a backing, such as KEVLAR para-aramid cloth (available from E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware, USA), SPECTRA polyethylene fabric (available from Honeywell, Morristown, New Jersey, USA), fiberglass cloth, rubber, or aluminum honeycomb.
  • Armor of this sort routinely is used for shielding vehicles, such as tanks, aircraft, space stations, etc., as well as for shielding individuals, including military personnel and police officers, when incorporated, for example, in bullet-proof vests.
  • a composite element of this invention is a component of an armor shell on a vehicle substructure or in an armored garment that can be worn to protect the wearer from projectiles.
  • the composite element of this invention includes a reaction- bonded ceramic matrix with ceramic fibers embedded therein.
  • plies of non- woven, mono filament silicon carbide fibers are formed, and a slip including silicon carbide (SiC) powder and silicon powder is cast around the plies to form a matrix around the plies.
  • the matrix is then reaction-bonded to form a composite element of this invention.
  • the silicon carbide powder can be replaced, at least in part, with boron carbide (B 4 C) powder.
  • the composite element is then attached either to a vehicle substructure or to a garment to be worn by an individual to shield the vehicle/wearer from ballistics ⁇ e.g. , bullets, explosives and/or missiles, depending on the application).
  • reaction-bonded composite elements of this invention can be formed at less expense than hot-pressed composites, with the reaction-bonding process allowing for incorporation of continuous fiber reinforcement.
  • composite elements of this invention have the capability to withstand multiple ballistic impacts notwithstanding their high porosity relative to typical hot-pressed composites.
  • reaction- bonded composite elements of this invention can easily be formed into a wide variety of shapes of complex geometry, offering far greater design freedom relative to hot-pressed composites and offering a better match to optimal shapes needed for vehicle and body armor.
  • the reaction-bonding process of this invention bonds the matrix particles at much lower temperatures and pressures than is required for hot-pressing or sintering.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of an armored garment of this invention.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an armored vehicle of this invention.
  • This invention is generally directed to armored vehicles and armored garments that comprise at least one composite element including ceramic fiber embedded in a reaction-bonded ceramic matrix.
  • the term, "armor,” is used herein to refer to a protective sheathing designed to prevent ballistic penetration. Additionally the terms, “fiber” and “fibers,” are used interchangeably herein to refer to either a single extended filament or a plurality of filaments.
  • the terms, “armored garment” and “body armor” also are used interchangeably herein.
  • the reaction-bonded composite element of this invention is bonded or otherwise secured either to a fabric, such as a KEVLAR or fiberglass cloth, for forming semi-rigid body armor or to a substrate, such as a slab of rubber or an aluminum honeycomb, to form a composite armor.
  • a fabric such as a KEVLAR or fiberglass cloth
  • a substrate such as a slab of rubber or an aluminum honeycomb
  • the composite element 12 is a component of a garment designed to shield the wearer of the vest from injury due to bullets and other ballistics.
  • the composite armor 22 is then attached to a vehicle substructure 24, such as that of an aircraft, spacecraft, or earth-based vehicle (such as the tank 20 in FIG. 2), to shield the vehicle from bullets, missiles, and explosives.
  • Armored garments, or "body armor,” of this invention can be of either a rigid or semi-rigid design.
  • the composite element typically is a large, molded panel designed to cover certain portions of the human body.
  • Semirigid armored garments typically include a plurality of composite elements in the form of relatively-small articulated plates reinforced with a woven ballistic material, e.g., KEVLAR cloth.
  • a preferred embodiment of this invention is a garment, such as a vest, that protects the torso.
  • Armored garments of this invention offer protection not only against ballistics but also against clubs and other rigid objects that may cause injury during a battery or accident ⁇ e.g., vehicular).
  • Armor of this invention also protects against blunt trauma—which can pose a serious danger to a wearer of non-rigid armor, for example, due to deformation of the armor when impacted by a projectile such as a bullet —because the composite element of this invention is highly resistant to deformation.
  • Types Under the classification system for body armor established under Standard 0101.03 by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), armor "types” ranging from Type I to Type IV have been established to indicate the level of threat that a given armor product is capable of defending against. Whereas fabric-based armor systems, such as those that use KEVLAR cloth, are typically used against threats from smaller- caliber ballistics, the "hard” armor of this invention is preferred for use as a Type III, III-A, or IV body armor against higher-level threats.
  • Type LTJ-A armor is designed to protect against .44 Magnum and submachine gun 9 mm bullets.
  • Type III armor is designed to protect against high-powered rifle bullets.
  • Type IV armor is designed to protect against "armor piercing" bullets.
  • the ceramic fiber is formed of silicon carbide; the fibers form about 4% to about 10%, by volume, of a composite that includes SiC fiber and a bonded SiC or B 4 C matrix.
  • a fiber content of about 6% to about 10%, by volume is preferred.
  • a composite that can withstand multiple hits can be formed with a fiber content of about 4% to about 6% by volume.
  • the fibers are SCS-6TM fibers, available from Textron Systems Corp. (Wilmington, Massachusetts, U.S.A.).
  • the SCS-6TM fibers are manufactured from a carbon monofilament and have a circular cross-section with a diameter of 140 microns ( ⁇ m).
  • 79- ⁇ m fibers (commercially available as SCS-9ATM from Textron Systems Corp.) may also be employed.
  • the carbon monofilament is approximately 35 ⁇ m in diameter.
  • the fiber is coated with an approximately 17- ⁇ m-thick carbon-rich silicon carbide buffer via chemical vapor deposition of a feed of a silane blend, hydrogen, argon and propane.
  • the buffer layer in turn, is coated with an approximately 32- ⁇ m-thick stoichiometric silicon-carbide bulk layer, also applied by chemical vapor deposition. Finally, an approximately 3- ⁇ m-thick carbon-rich silicon carbide deposit is applied, also by chemical vapor deposition, as a surface coating on the silicon carbide bulk layer.
  • the reaction-bonded ceramic matrix in which the fibers are embedded preferably comprises nitride-bonded silicon carbide and/or nitride-bonded boron carbide. In the "reaction-bonding" technique, which is derived from methods for fabricating monolithic ceramics, at least one component of the matrix is chemically reacted with a liquid or gas.
  • a blend of silicon carbide powders and silicon metal is consolidated by nitridation of the silicon metal, resulting in a Si 3 N 4 - bonded SiC matrix having continuous SiC filament reinforcements.
  • the nitride- bonding process generally produces a matrix with higher porosity (typically between about 10% and about 20%) than that of hot-pressed or sintered materials.
  • the SiC-based matrix comprises approximately 20% silicon nitride by weight
  • the resultant porosity can be between about 14% and about 18%.
  • the matrix can also include cubic boron nitride.
  • the matrix concentration of cubic boron nitride is preferably about 20% in a region that is selected, depending upon the characteristics of the ballistics that it is designed to shield against, to provide the greatest barrier to ballistic penetration. In one embodiment, this region extends 2 mm from the surface that is subject to impact. In other embodiments, this region is in an interior portion of the armor or extending from the inner surface, which is remote from impact so that the ballistic can be subject to initial shearing before reaching the cubic-boron-nitride-hardened region.
  • plies of non- woven, monofilament silicon carbide fiber are formed, and a slip comprising silicon carbide powder and silicon powder is cast around the plies to form a matrix.
  • the matrix is reaction-bonded to form a composite element.
  • the composite element can then be attached to either a vehicle substructure to form an armored vehicle or to a garment to form an armored garment.
  • the composite is formed starting with a slip of the following composition, with the approximate percentage of each component, by weight, indicated in parentheses: silicon carbide powder or a mixture of silicon carbide and boron carbide powders (70% to 75%), silicon powder (8% to 12%), red iron oxide and sodium silicate (1% to 3%) and distilled water (10% to 20%).
  • the specific composition of a preferred slip, with SiC and silicon broken down by particle-size distribution, is as follows:
  • the above-described slip is agitated and mixed by continuously rolling it in a sealed container on a motorized drum roller. Inside the sealed container are dense rubber balls used to assist in the mixing process.
  • a plaster mold is used to form the final shape of the composite element, which, in this case, is in the form of a plate. The height of the borders around the mold govern the thickness of the plate.
  • a thin layer of the slip is poured into the mold, then separate plies of SCS-6 fiber are placed over the slip.
  • the SCS-6 fibers are placed in alternating 0° and 90° orientations and can be equally spaced or spaced closer toward one side of the plate. Each ply of fiber is laid between alternating applications of the slip, with an application of slip above and below the beginning and ending plies of fiber.
  • a final application of slip is poured to top off the mold.
  • the green body is removed from the plaster mold and dried in an oven set between 100° and 120°C.
  • the dried plates are loaded into a furnace and placed under a vacuum.
  • the temperature in the furnace is increased at a rate of 5°C/min.
  • the vacuum system is isolated and the furnace is filled with nitrogen.
  • the nitrogen pressure is maintained at 800 torr throughout the remainder of the nitriding cycle to convert the pure silicon metal to silicon nitride, thereby "nitride bonding" the silicon carbide matrix.
  • the ramp rate is lowered to 2.5 °C/min until it reaches 1150°C, where the temperature is held for six hours.
  • the temperature is then ramped to 1250°C at a rate of 0.42°C/min.
  • the temperature is then held at 1250°C for six hours and then ramped to 1350°C at a rate of 0.28"C/min.
  • the temperature is held at 1350°C for eight hours and then ramped to 1395°C at a rate of 0J75°C/min.
  • the temperature is held at 1395°C for six hours before the cycle is ended and then cooled to room temperature.
  • the ceramic plates are removed from the furnace and , in some embodiments, are then machined with a diamond saw blade into the final required plate dimension.
  • the ceramic plate manufactured by the above-described process contains ⁇ - Si 3 N 4 bonded silicon carbide with continuous silicon carbide fiber reinforcement.
  • the density range is between 2.65 and 2.70 g/cc.
  • particulate materials can be substituted to change the characteristic hardness and density of the ceramic plate.
  • the composition of the slip is the same as that described in the table, above, except that 50- ⁇ m boron carbide particles are used in place of the 80-120 ⁇ m SiC particles. This substitution can be performed without substantially affecting the ballistic performance of the final nitride-bonded composite plate, while nevertheless lowering the density of the plate to 2J5 g/cm 3 .
  • particles of cubic boron nitride are substituted for a portion of the silicon carbide or boron carbide particles.
  • the cubic boron nitride forms about 20% of the slip, and this slip is added to the mold at a stage where the layer will be positioned where the hardest region is desired, typically at the surface.
  • the resulting hardness of this region can be 40% to 50% harder than the remainder of the plate.
  • Potential uses for such a hardened plate include Type IV body armor systems and vehicle armor systems that require greater ballistic performance.
  • the relatively-high-porosity composite elements of this invention are thought to perform favorably relative to the performance of denser, hot-pressed materials.
  • the pores in the composite element of this invention are believed to serve as crack initiators that retard the dissipation of energy when the material is exposed to high impact, while fibers of the composite blunt cracks and absorb energy while holding the element together.
  • the carbon-rich surface coating of the fibers is believed to facilitate the crack-arresting feature of this invention.
  • composite elements of this invention have the capability to withstand multiple impacts from high- velocity projectiles without shattering.
  • a composite element of this invention were formed in accordance with the above-described procedure.
  • the slip comprised silicon carbide powder (74%), silicon powder (11%), red iron oxide (1.5%), sodium silicate ( ⁇ 1%) and distilled water (14%).
  • the fiber reinforcement formed 10 volume % of the matrix/fiber composite and were in the form of a pair of continuous fiber plies orthogonally oriented relative to one another.
  • the composite element had a density of 2.1 g/cm 3 and a porosity of about 15%.
  • the ultimate stress was measured at 137.5 MPa, and the fiexural modulus was measured at 107.9 GPa in a four-point bend test conducted in accordance with American Society For Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard Cl 161-94.
  • ASTM American Society For Testing and Materials
  • nitride-bonded silicon carbide composites of this invention were formed as in the previous example, except that the fiber orientation was limited to a single direction.
  • the four-point flexure test showed a strength of 172 MPa and a modulus of 127 GPa in the direction of the fibers.
  • DMR dynamic mechanical resonance
  • a non-reinforced nitride-bonded silicon carbide matrix was formed in accordance with the previous examples, with the exception that fibers were not employed.
  • the matrix was found to have an ultimate stress of 58 MPA with a modulus of 117 GPa when measured via the four-point flexure test.
  • measurements obtained via the dynamic mechanical resonance (DMR) test provided a higher reading (124 GPa) for the fiexural modulus.
  • DMR dynamic mechanical resonance

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ceramic Engineering (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Structural Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Ceramic Products (AREA)
  • Aiming, Guidance, Guns With A Light Source, Armor, Camouflage, And Targets (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un élément composite dans un véhicule blindé ou dans un vêtement pare-balles comportant une matrice céramique liée par réaction ayant une fibre de céramique noyée en son sein. De préférence, la matrice de céramique liée par réaction comprend du carbure de silicium à nitrures liés, et la fibre de céramique contient du carbure de silicium. La matrice peut aussi comprendre du carbure de bore à nitrures liés. Dans un procédé selon l'invention, des plis monofilaments nontissés de fibre de carbure de silicium sont formées, et une barbotine comprenant de la poudre de carbure de silicium et de la poudre de silicium est coulée autour des plis pour constituer une matrice autour des plis. La matrice de silicium/carbure de silicium est alors liée par réaction pour former l'élément composite de l'invention.
EP00952131A 1999-03-31 2000-03-31 Blindage composite et procede de fabrication Withdrawn EP1166030A2 (fr)

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US12724599P 1999-03-31 1999-03-31
US127245P 1999-03-31
PCT/US2000/008990 WO2000062007A2 (fr) 1999-03-31 2000-03-31 Blindage composite et procede de fabrication

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6609452B1 (en) 2000-01-11 2003-08-26 M Cubed Technologies, Inc. Silicon carbide armor bodies, and methods for making same
US7104177B1 (en) 2000-01-11 2006-09-12 Aghajanian Michael K Ceramic-rich composite armor, and methods for making same
IL155729A0 (en) 2000-11-21 2003-11-23 M Cubed Technologies Inc Boron carbide composite bodies and methods for making same
US6862970B2 (en) 2000-11-21 2005-03-08 M Cubed Technologies, Inc. Boron carbide composite bodies, and methods for making same
US6995103B2 (en) 2000-11-21 2006-02-07 M Cubed Technologies, Inc. Toughness enhanced silicon-containing composite bodies, and methods for making same
DK177002B1 (da) * 2003-09-29 2010-11-15 Niras As Indretning til beskyttelse mod eksplosion
US20100260972A1 (en) * 2007-07-30 2010-10-14 Kyocera Corporation Protective Member and Protective Body Using the Same

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US5236786A (en) * 1986-05-08 1993-08-17 Lanxide Technology Company, Lp Shaped ceramic composites with a barrier
AU6390790A (en) * 1989-10-30 1991-05-02 Lanxide Corporation Anti-ballistic materials and methods of making the same
FR2723193B1 (fr) * 1990-11-07 1996-12-13 France Etat Materiau de protection balistique
EP0697093B1 (fr) * 1993-05-07 1997-03-19 KENNAMETAL HERTEL AG Werkzeuge + Hartstoffe Materiau ceramique et plaque de blindage realisee a l'aide dudit materiau
US5955391A (en) * 1996-03-29 1999-09-21 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Ceramic matrix composite and method of manufacturing the same
WO1999022195A1 (fr) * 1997-10-24 1999-05-06 Lanxide Technology Company, Lp Materiau pare-balles et procedes de fabrication associes

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WO2000062007A2 (fr) 2000-10-19
JP2002541427A (ja) 2002-12-03
WO2000062007A3 (fr) 2001-02-08

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