High-velocity impacts change [B.sub.4]C ceramic crystals to glass.(MATERIALS SCIENCE/R & D)

Advanced Materials & Processes,  May, 2003  

Tags: C, Johns Hopkins University

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Impacts from projectiles with higher energy than that from handgun bullets cause boron carbide ([B.sub.4]C) armor materials to shatter too easily, report researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. Although the material protects against low-energy projectiles such as handgun bullets, it does not do well against more powerful ammunition, and the researchers conducted a study to find out the reason.

By observing the atomic structure of boron carbide fragments through a high-resolution transmission electron microscope, they discovered that higher-energy impacts cause tiny ...

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