New research from North Carolina State University and the U.S. Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate shows that stainless steel composite metal foam (CMF) can block blast pressure and fragmentation at 5,000 feet per second from high explosive incendiary (HEI) rounds that detonate only 18 inches away.
“In short, we found that steel-CMF offers much more protection than all other existing armor materials while lowering the weight remarkably,” says Afsaneh Rabiei, senior author of a paper on the work and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at NC State. “We can provide as much protection as existing steel armor at a fraction of the weight – or provide much more protection at the same weight.
Good for the Army and NC State University, but the Navy needs to get into this, too. More protection at light weight has significant possible uses for design and construction of ships and aircraft. Weight savings means increased ranges among other things.
Wow, that looks great. Now find a way to keep our adversaries from getting.
ReplyDeleteThey need to switch from rigid steel hulls to framed flexible Kevlar Hulls. It may flex from a torpedo blast, but no more insta kills.
ReplyDelete