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Speaker: Professor John Spray, Planetary and Space Science Centre, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Time: 12:30 - 14:00 BST
The advantages of using ceramic glasses in protective systems have been appreciated for over a century following the WWI. The need to defeat HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) rounds led to the development of composite armour systems during WWII. True ceramic armour systems were developed in the 1960s and these have evolved to multilayer structures in use today for battle tanks and certain other vehicles. The use of ceramics as a key ingredient in armour systems arises from their providing hardnesses significantly higher than those of metals. This is due to stiff iono-covalent versus metallic bonding. This results in metal projectiles being disrupted on impact with diminished penetration efficiency. We will introduce some of the common ceramics used in protective systems and explore how they are integrated within the composite system. Disadvantages, including brittleness (leading to limited multi-shot endurance), and susceptibility of inherent flaws (incipient cracks) to cause lower than optimum fracture toughness will be discussed. Some of the current trends of increasing ceramic functionality will be presented. Many of these improvements rely on enhanced manufacturing capabilities and quality control.
The event is free to attend but pre-registration is required.
Speaker: Professor John Spray, Planetary and Space Science Centre, University of New Brunswick, Canada
Time: 12:30 - 14:00 BST
The advantages of using ceramic glasses in protective systems have been appreciated for over a century following the WWI. The need to defeat HEAT (high-explosive anti-tank) rounds led to the development of composite armour systems during WWII. True ceramic armour systems were developed in the 1960s and these have evolved to multilayer structures in use today for battle tanks and certain other vehicles. The use of ceramics as a key ingredient in armour systems arises from their providing hardnesses significantly higher than those of metals. This is due to stiff iono-covalent versus metallic bonding. This results in metal projectiles being disrupted on impact with diminished penetration efficiency. We will introduce some of the common ceramics used in protective systems and explore how they are integrated within the composite system. Disadvantages, including brittleness (leading to limited multi-shot endurance), and susceptibility of inherent flaws (incipient cracks) to cause lower than optimum fracture toughness will be discussed. Some of the current trends of increasing ceramic functionality will be presented. Many of these improvements rely on enhanced manufacturing capabilities and quality control.
The event is free to attend but pre-registration is required.
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