Improved Cost Effectiveness in ALON Transparent Armor

Aluminum Oxynitride (ALON Optical Ceramic) is a transparent ceramic material which exhibits transmission from the ultraviolet (UV) through the midwave infrared (MWIR), along with excellent mechanical properties. ALON has isotropic optical and mechanical properties, by virtue of its cubic crystalline structure. Consequently, ALON is transparent in its polycrystalline form and can be made by conventional powder processing techniques. This combination of desirable properties and manufacturability makes ALON suitable for a range of applications, from IR windows, domes, and lenses to transparent armor. ALON transparent armor laminates represent the state of the art, offering superior multi-hit performance against armor piercing threats, at half the weight and thickness of conventional glass laminate systems. Currently, the greatest obstacle to widespread use of ALON transparent armor is high cost and limited production capacity. The goal of the proposed effort is to develop improved processing which will substantially decrease the cost, by increasing the yield, and throughput, for producing ALON for armor applications.