Boron Carbide-Silicon Carbide Nanocomposites for Next Generation Armour

Motivation for this Work:

Modern warfare is developing rapidly; technology is becoming more advanced and the modern soldier requires more of it. With the increase in equipment there is an increase in weight which reduces mobility. Threats have also developed, in such environments greater protection can be required. Combining these two results in a need to produce lighter armour with a higher level of protection. Boron Carbide (B4C) has shown great potential for use in armours. It has a high hardness and low density, but unfortunately it sometimes fails prematurely. This has been explained by a phase transformation involving polytype collapse. This research aims to mitigate structural breakdown by microstructural design. It is hypothesised that a composite containing nano grains of B4C and Silicon Carbide (SiC) can mitigate the polytype breakdown, whilst combining the low density of B4C with the ballistic reliability of SiC.

This poster will:

• Outline the materials being investigated for use in new ceramic armours. Specifically those under investigation by Imperial College London, joint with DSTL

• Give the breakdown of the method and aims of the project

• Outline some basic results from initial studies. This will give the reader an idea of the final goal.