Superhard Coated Ceramic Armor Plate for Ballistic Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current antiballistic armor technologies, such as those based on monolithic boron carbide or Silicon Carbide plates with Aramid backing, are outdated and require enhancement for improved protection against modern threats.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight antiballistic plate assembly featuring a ceramic strike face strengthened with a superhard layer, comprising materials like polycrystalline diamond (PCD), polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), or other ultra-hard materials, coated or bonded onto the plate substrate to enhance ballistic resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If monolithic boron carbide or Silicon Carbide plates are used, then ballistic resistance is provided, but the armor is heavy and requires enhancement for modern threats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining a ceramic substrate (boron carbide or silicon carbide) with a superhard coating layer (diamond-like carbon, cubic boron nitride, or other ultra-hard materials). This composite structure provides enhanced ballistic resistance against modern threats while maintaining a lightweight design, resolving the contradiction between strength and weight by integrating two materials with complementary properties.
2Strength
If superhard materials are coated onto the plate substrate, then ballistic resistance increases, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by modifying the physical and chemical properties of the coating layer through controlled deposition processes. By adjusting parameters such as coating thickness, material composition, and deposition conditions, the patent achieves optimal ballistic resistance while managing manufacturing complexity through systematic control of these parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure of ceramic substrate plus superhard coating allows each layer to perform its specialized function, with the ceramic providing structural integrity and the coating providing surface hardness and ballistic resistance. This division of functional responsibilities simplifies the overall manufacturing approach compared to attempting to create a single-material solution with all required properties.
Data Source
AI summary
A lightweight antiballistic plate assembly includes a ceramic antiballistic plate that is strengthened with a superhard protective layer attached to the strike face of the antiballistic plate. In one embodiment, a strike face of the plate has a layer of superhard material, such as polycrystalline diamond (PCD), attached by sintering. In one embodiment, the ceramic antiballistic plate is made from a mixture of silicon carbide and superhard protective strike face comprising a material selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline diamond (PCD), polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN), thermally stable polycrystalline diamond and combinations thereof.