Ceramic tank armor: protection against HEAT projectiles

It is known that until the end of the 1950s, the problem of increasing the protection of tanks was solved by increasing the thickness of the steel armor array. However, the second half of the XNUMXth century was a time of explosive growth in the power of anti-tank weapons, which forced scientists to look for new ways to increase the resistance of combat vehicles to damaging factors.

As a result of developments on this topic, the idea of ​​​​combined armor was presented, which combines various metal and non-metal elements for an acceptable level of protection while keeping the mass of the tank within reasonable limits. One of these elements was ceramics, which for the first time in the world was mass-produced in the USSR on T-64 tanks. Later, other countries became interested in the properties of ceramics, including Germany, the USA and France. Ceramic inserts were used in one way or another in the construction of tanks, such as Abrams, Leopard-2 and others.

Work on the study of ceramic materials as armor began in the 1950s. The designers of military equipment have shown interest in using ceramics as armor, since it is twice as hard as steel and at the same time has a much lower density, which makes its use as a lightweight anti-ballistic protection element possible.

To date, the choice of base for armored ceramics is quite wide and is limited by finances and industry, but in a particular case, it is worth stopping at two options: aluminum oxide and silicon carbide. The first was widely used in the USSR for the production of corundum balls, and the second became famous in the West largely due to the British Chobham armor.

Despite some differences in chemical, physical and mechanical properties, the final production cycle for the transformation of these materials into a protective component is similar: oxide / carbide powder, together with additives in various ways, is sintered at high temperature to the state of a monolith. At the output, depending on the "baking molds", balls or blocks of various shapes and thicknesses are obtained.

After heat treatment, ceramics, although it receives the status of armor, in fact, is not yet fully protected. Despite the increased strength indicators, it remains, in fact, hardened sand, which does not tolerate shock overloads during shelling and is prone to brittle fracture. In order to weaken the influence of these factors, ceramics are reinforced, that is, strengthened, by placing a special substrate made of a ductile material into the cells. This technique provides a higher degree of protection and impact resistance of ceramics.

In tank armor, medium or high hardness steel is usually used as a backing. However, in the "cheekbones" of the T-64 towers, corundum balls were simply poured with molten steel. This was done to simplify production and reduce production time. As a result, the steel penetrated the ceramic balls and created a strong bond between the two materials, which increased the impact resistance of the armor.

Thus, the reinforcement of ceramics with a substrate made of ductile material significantly increases its resistance to impacts, and the use of steel of medium or high hardness as a substrate makes it possible to achieve an even greater degree of protection. Although the manufacturing process can be complex and time consuming, the use of such technology has become necessary to create more effective armor for combat vehicles.

The principle of interaction between the ceramic block and the substrate is quite simple and is used not only in tank armor, but also in modules for light vehicles and even in bulletproof vests. At the moment of contact with a highly hard ceramic surface, the attacking body (for example, a projectile) receives severe initial damage. At the same time, a shock wave begins to propagate in the ceramic, which leads to its breaking into fragments of various sizes: from powder to large pieces. If the block does not have a damper in the form of a substrate, then the projectile breaks it into smithereens and continues to move.

If the substrate is present, the situation develops differently. Crushed ceramic has nowhere to go from the small volume of the cell, so it continues to exert high pressure on the projectile, causing additional damage to it. To achieve the best result, the substrates with ceramics are arranged in several rows one after the other. In this case, a significant increase in the degree of protection can be achieved due to the overall effect of the reinforcing materials and the reduction in the impact force on each subsequent layer.

Thus, the presence of a substrate made of a ductile material, such as steel, can significantly increase the degree of protection of ceramics from attacking bodies. Installation of several rows of substrate with ceramics can significantly enhance protection and increase the resistance of armored structures to damage. This principle is applied not only in tank armor, but also in other types of armor, including bulletproof vests and protective modules for light vehicles.

The cumulative effect is the ability of anti-tank ammunition to penetrate armor due to the high-velocity metal rod formed by the explosion of an explosive charge. This rod is called a cumulative jet. The standard design of a shaped charge includes a cone-shaped notch lined with copper or other material in the nose of the charge. At the moment of explosion of the charge, most of the energy collapses the lining and forms a metal cumulative jet. The speed of its head elements can reach 7-10 km / s, which determines its high penetrating ability.

However, the cumulative jet does not have its own strength, and gradually loses its length in the process of breaking through the armor. HEAT missiles can penetrate armor up to one and a half meters thick. In addition, the jet can burst from any, even the smallest object that crosses its axis. However, against HEAT ammunition, the hardness of the armor does not play a big role. Instead, the strength of the armor barrier plays a role.

Armored ceramics are able to withstand cumulative ammunition due to their high hardness and compressive strength. However, due to the lack of high-speed X-ray imaging and electrodynamic methods of research, for a long time it was believed that the hardness of ceramics plays a decisive role in protection against cumulative munitions.

Thus, the ceramic block in the armor protects the tank from cumulative ammunition not only due to its hardness, but also due to its interaction with the cumulative jet. When a cumulative ammunition hits a ceramic block, its structure is destroyed into many small fragments, which then scatter in different directions. This leads to the fact that the cumulative jet loses its energy and cannot penetrate further armor protection.

However, do not forget that ceramic armor also has its drawbacks. It can be damaged when hit by a larger projectile or by a strong impact, which reduces its effectiveness. In addition, ceramic inserts in armor are quite expensive, which makes the use of such armor not always economically feasible.

Thus, ceramic armor became an important element in the protection of tanks and other military equipment in the second half of the XNUMXth century. It made it possible to increase the level of protection while maintaining the mass of the tank within reasonable limits. Due to its interaction with cumulative munitions, ceramic armor can significantly increase the effectiveness of tank protection against such weapons. However, the use of ceramic armor also has its drawbacks and requires more careful and expensive production, which makes its use not always appropriate.

When attacking armored objects, especially tanks, with cumulative ammunition, ceramic blocks are used as additional protection. They are able to effectively reduce the energy of the cumulative jet, which leads to a decrease in its penetration ability. Ceramics acts not only due to its hardness, but also due to the specific principle of interaction with cumulative ammunition.

When a cumulative jet hits a reinforced ceramic block, a shock wave propagates in front of the jet, breaking the ceramic into fragments. The pressure behind the front of the shock wave drops, and the previously compressed fragments fill up the channel of the hole, cutting the jet like a guillotine. Thus, the cumulative jet loses its penetration ability, which significantly increases the efficiency of ceramic blocks.

With the correct installation of ceramic blocks, a significant increase in the protective characteristics of the tank can be achieved. For example, aluminum inserts were installed in the turrets of the T-64 tanks of the first series. With a total thickness of armor "steel + aluminum + steel" of about 600 mm, such protection gave the equivalent of about 450 mm from cumulative projectiles. After the appearance of towers with corundum balls, the total thickness of the armor was reduced to 450 mm, and the equivalent from HEAT shells remained equal to 450 mm. With the correct use of ceramic blocks, it is possible to achieve a twofold superiority over the steel array in protection against cumulative ammunition.

However, the use of ceramic blocks has its drawbacks. High-quality ceramics are quite expensive to manufacture, which can greatly increase the cost of a tank.

Ceramic armor also has some limitations regarding its use in real life conditions. It can be vulnerable to other types of attacks, such as thermal bombs and kinetic armor-piercing projectiles that can penetrate multiple layers of ceramic. In addition, ceramic armor has a high level of brittleness and brittleness, which can lead to its destruction during transportation, storage or installation.

Nevertheless, ceramic armor remains an important element in the protection of military equipment. Modern technologies and materials make it possible to create stronger and more reliable ceramic blocks that can provide effective protection against cumulative munitions and other types of attacks. Ceramics is also used in the production of bulletproof vests and other personal protective equipment, providing a high level of protection with a relatively small mass and volume.

Ceramic armor is an important element in the armor system of military equipment. It provides a high level of protection with a relatively small mass and volume, which allows you to create lighter and more maneuverable combat vehicles. However, in order to use ceramics most effectively, it is necessary to take into account its limitations and use it in combination with other elements of armor and protection.