The material is made from aluminum oxynitride, commercially known as Alon. It has the potential to replace current bulletproof glass used in military vehicles, which is often heavy and less durable.
Alon is a ceramic compound made from aluminum, oxygen, and nitrogen, featuring structural and optical characteristics similar to sapphire, a precious stone. While traditional bulletproof glass is constructed from multiple layers of glass and polycarbonate stacked together, the new material consists of an outer layer of Alon, a middle layer of a durable glass, and an inner layer of polymer.
In tests conducted at the University of Dayton Research Institute in Ohio, this transparent panel withstood armor-piercing rounds fired from Russia’s 30mm M-44 rifles and Browning .50 caliber weapons. It also endured continuous fire from 30mm armor-piercing rounds. Conventional bulletproof glass would require thicknesses of several centimeters to achieve similar performance.
However, researchers need to continue additional tests to determine whether it can withstand various impacts from larger weapons, such as bombs.
“It’s quite impressive,” said Ronald Hoffman from the University of Dayton Research Institute, who conducted the experiments. He believes this material has the most significant potential applications in vehicles such as military aircraft. The only drawback of Alon is its high cost, which is about $15 per 2.5 square centimeters, three times that of conventional bulletproof glass. However, Hoffman is optimistic that the price will decrease with large-scale production.
T. An (according to NewScientist)
