AFRL Develops Novel Ceramic-Based Body Armor Published Dec. 12, 2006 By Plans and Programs Directorate AFRL/XP WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- AFRL materials scientists worked with Excera Materials Group (Columbus, Ohio) to develop a novel metal-ceramic hybrid material for use in high-performance, lightweight, low-cost small arms protective inserts (SAPI) for body armor vests. Excera Materials Group is the manufacturer of a unique ceramic material called ONNEX, which the company develops by infusing a ceramic material with liquid aluminum. This material offers the high hardness of boron carbide, but it also provides fracture toughness 10 times that of other pressed ceramic materials. The hardness of an ONNEX armor plate will shatter and stop a striking bullet, and because the material's fracture toughness confines damage to a small area, the armor can tolerate multiple strikes to the same region. The AFRL/Excera team reinforced the ONNEX material with a ballistic fiber backing made from Dyneema® polyethylene fiber and Rhino Linings®, an elastomeric polyurethane coating that is also widely used in truck bed liners. The ONNEX-based SAPI system is lighter and less expensive than currently deployed systems. During a 6-month deployment to Iraq, the 88th Security Forces Squadron field-tested the armor to evaluate its strengths and weaknesses. Upon their return, squadron members provided feedback, including recommendations related to fit and "wearability." AFRL is now evaluating ways to improve the product's comfort level. Engineers will begin scanning several representative body types to determine the basic body shapes of military personnel (both male and female). They will work with Excera to create molds and armor to fit these shapes and thus accommodate the body types of most people. Materials scientists will incorporate the team's findings into the strike plates so that critical body areas remain protected regardless of a person's body size. In just 18 months, this low-cost, high-payoff technology development program evolved from initial laboratory research and development work into a technology system that exceeds the capabilities of most current SAPI plates. The technology's manufacture requires lower temperatures and shorter processing times, leading to substantial cost savings.