posted: 18 October 2005 05:01 pm ET
A new type of transparent armor made of aluminum could one day replace glass in military vehicles.
The product is called aluminum oxynitride. It is being tested by the Army and the University of Dayton Research Institute in Ohio.
The material is a ceramic compound with a high compressive strength and durability, according to an Army statement issued this week. It performs better than the multilayered glass products currently in use, and its about half the weight. It is virtually scratch-resistant.
"The substance itself is light-years ahead of glass," said 1st Lt. Joseph La Monica, who heads the research.
Glass is still used in the new process, being sandwhiched between an outer layer of the polished aluminum oxynitride and a polymer backing.
.50-caliber test
In a test this summer, the product held up to a .50-caliber sniper's rifle with amor-piercing bullets. Traditional glass armor did not survive the test.
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Compare the results of glass in a fire and aluminum in a fire...