Ceramic Vs. Steel Plate
Plate armor has been used by soldiers since Greek and Roman times, and steel plate was the material of choice for knights in the Middle Ages. But full steel plate armor is heavy and the weight makes it awkward for the wearer to move unless the armor's myriad articulated joints are carefully crafted. Recent advances in ceramics technology offer a new and exciting alternative to steel armor, but each has its advantages and disadvantages. The challenge for modern police and military is how to balance the two.
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Weight
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Ceramic body armor is considerably lighter than steel. Steel plates can weigh as much as two or three times that of a comparably-sized ceramic plate. While that may not be a great burden for an officer working from a police car, it means a lot to the military. In a situation where a soldier needs to carry a full complement of gear on his back that weighs 90 to 120 pounds, the ceramics are a considerable advantage.
Penetration
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The hardness of steel is part of what gives it so much protective value; bullets tend to bounce off. However, this bounce, or ricochet, can injure others. Bullets can also shatter against steel.
Ceramics makers have learned how to use penetration as part of their protective ability. Bullets do not ricochet or fragment, and the ceramic actually absorbs the power of the bullet by breaking somewhat. The trade-off is that, if a ceramic plate is shot repeatedly, the wearer loses a little of its protection with each hit.
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Cost
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Steel plate is far less expensive than ceramic plate. Steel manufacturing techniques are as old as the Middle Ages and well-established in modern facilities. The ease of manufacture allows more companies to produce steel plate, thus encouraging competitive pricing.
Ceramics require specialized techniques and temperatures up to 4,000 degrees. Several alternative "formulas" exist for ceramic plate, each with their own different strengths and weaknesses, so there are fewer manufacturers competing against one another. All this tends to make ceramics more expensive.
Durability
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Just as ceramics have an unquestioned advantage in weight, steel has an unquestioned advantage in durability. Ceramics are more fragile than steel and can develop fractures if dropped or otherwise abused--a serious problem in a material that gains its protective ability from controlled fracturing. A steel plate continues to provide protection even after taking repeated hits or careless abuse.
In addition, the development potential of steel plates has not been exhausted. Even more durable--and lighter--formulas may be developed in the future.
Layers
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Perhaps the greatest shared advantage of the two plate types is that they can be used together in layers. Historically, armorers developed multiple-layer breastplates for knights when guns first came into use on the battlefield; both steel and ceramics still use that concept now.
But the real excitement comes from current attempts to combine steel and ceramic. The ability to combine the durability of steel with the lightness of ceramics may lead to even stronger armor that will not weigh down modern warriors.
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References
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- Photo Credit armor knight image by musk from Fotolia.com
