Armor components comprising hexagonal boron nitride and method of forming same

Abstract

An armor component including a body including a ceramic component comprising hBN. In one aspect, the hBN is configured to undergo a phase change upon a projectile impact. In another aspect, the ceramic component may also have a ready state defining a hexagonal lattice structure configured to change from the ready state to an absorbed state defining a cubic lattice structure. The ceramic component may also have a ready state defining a first density and configured to change from the ready state to an absorbed state defining a second density, wherein the first density is less than the second density. In a particular aspect, the ceramic component can be configured to prevent penetration of a projectile having an energy of at least 1500 J upon impact with a strikeface of the ceramic component.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An armor component comprising a body including a ceramic component comprising hBN. 
     
     
         2 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component includes at least 25 wt % of hBN. 
     
     
         3 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component has a density of not greater than 3.2 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         4 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component has a strikeface that lies substantially along a single plane, and is defined by an area of 0.5 cm 2 , and wherein the ceramic component has a thickness no greater than 100 mm, and is configured to prevent penetration of a projectile having an energy of 1500 J to 10000 J upon impact with the strikeface of the ceramic component. 
     
     
         5 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component has a thickness of at least 4 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the armor component has an areal density of no greater than 1 kg/cm 2 . 
     
     
         7 . The armor component of  claim 4 , wherein the ceramic component includes a plurality of platelets stacked upon each other, the plurality of platelets include basal planes and at least 50% of the platelets within the plurality of platelets are oriented with their basal planes within 85° of parallel to the strikeface. 
     
     
         8 . The armor component of  claim 7 , wherein at least 90% of the platelets within the plurality of platelets are oriented with their basal planes within 30° of parallel to the strikeface. 
     
     
         9 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component has a ready state defining a first lattice structure and configured to change from the ready state to an absorbed state defining a second lattice structure different from the first lattice structure. 
     
     
         10 . The armor component of  claim 9 , wherein the first lattice structure includes a hexagonal lattice structure, and wherein the second lattice structure includes a cubic lattice structure. 
     
     
         11 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component has a ready state having a first density and configured to change from the ready state to an absorbed state having a second density, wherein the first density is less than the second density. 
     
     
         12 . The armor component of  claim 4 , wherein the strikeface comprises a polygonal two-dimensional shape. 
     
     
         13 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component comprises a density of at least 2.0 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         14 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein ceramic component comprises platelike grains having a diameter/thickness ratio within a range of 10 to 100. 
     
     
         15 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component further comprises a transformation pressure defined as an applied pressure configured to cause at least a portion of the ceramic component to change from a ready state to an absorbed state, wherein the transformation pressure is at least 2.5 GPa. 
     
     
         16 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component further comprise a transformation force defined as a force configured to cause at least a portion of the ceramic component to change from a ready state to an absorbed state, wherein the transformation force is at least 0.25×10 6  N. 
     
     
         17 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component further comprise a transformation energy defined as an energy configured to cause at least a portion of the ceramic component to change from a ready state to an absorbed state, wherein the transformation energy is at least 1500 J. 
     
     
         18 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component includes hBN and SiC. 
     
     
         19 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic component consists essentially of hBN and SiC. 
     
     
         20 . The armor component of  claim 1 , wherein the armor component includes no material other than hBN that is configured to undergo a phase change upon a projectile impact.