Ultra high hardness steel is often used as an economical armor. material, but its use as a structural material is limited due to its low ductility, high hardness, and difficulty in welding and machining. Titanium, however, with its high strength-to-weight ratio, is an excellent structural material with relatively high ballistic performance. Coupling titanium and an ultra high hardness steel could use the strengths of both and provide an economical alternative for light armor applications, such as the light armor vehicle (LAV). Phase I produced composite titanium/steel plates that are extremely hard and have minimal joint dilution and intermetallic content. These 12" x 12" plates have been submitted for ballistic testing. Phase II proposes to: 1) Fabricate armor plates that are at least 60 Rc for superior ballistic test results to Phase I. 2) Produce much larger plates than in Phase I. 3) Investigate and fabricate a variety of different armor plate materials. A maximum of (6) 24" x 24" plates will be bonded, heat treated and submitted for ballistic testing.
Keywords: Joining Armor Bonding Steel Explosive Bonding Composite Titanium Plate
