Impact resistant material

Abstract

A method of making a composite material. The method comprises: providing a plurality of particles, wherein each one of the particles comprises a ceramic core and a metallic outer layer surrounding the core; forming a tile from the plurality of particles by performing a bonding process on the plurality of particles; and bonding the tile to a ductile backing material. In some embodiments, the ceramic core comprises boron carbide. In some embodiments, the metallic outer layer comprises at least one of copper, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, and aluminum.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A method of making a tile, comprising:
 vaporizing a coater material;   condensing the vaporized coater material onto coatee particles to form coated particles comprising a layer of the coater material on the coatee particles; and   sintering the coated particles to form the tile.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein vaporizing the coater material comprises:
 vaporizing the coater material within a plasma stream.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the sintering comprises spark plasma sintering. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the coatee particles comprise ceramic coatee particles. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the ceramic coatee particles comprise boron carbide. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the coated particles comprise an average grain size of less than  250  nanometers. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the coated particles are sintered so that the nano-particle size and structure of the coated particles is maintained in the tile. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the coater material comprises metallic coater material. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the metallic coater material comprises at least one of copper, tantalum, titanium, molybdenum, and aluminum. 
     
     
         41 . A method of making a composite material, comprising:
 vaporizing a coater material;   condensing the vaporized coater material onto coatee particles to form coated particles comprising a layer of the coater material on the coatee particles;   sintering the coated particles to form the tile; and   bonding the tile to a ductile backing material.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein vaporizing the coater material comprises:
 vaporizing the coater material within a plasma stream.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the sintering comprises spark plasma sintering. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the coatee particles comprise ceramic coatee particles. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the coated particles comprise an average grain size of less than 250 nanometers. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the coated particles are sintered so that the nano-particle size and structure of the coated particles is maintained in the tile. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the coater material comprises metallic coater material. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the tile is bonded to the ductile backing material by an autoclave process. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the tile is bonded to the ductile backing material using heat-curable adhering material and catalyzed foamable exothermic material between the tile and the ductile backing material, wherein heat generated from the use of the catalyzed foamable exothermic material cures the heat-curable adhering material. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the ductile backing material comprises a plurality of fibers. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the plurality of fibers comprises polyethylene fibers.