When you are going to buy the bulletproof plate to insert the plate carrier, you might think which material should I use ? There are different materials like steel, ceramic armor plates, and pure PE for armor plate. What is the differences among them ? This post will explain.
When our soldiers started wearing body armor, the only real option was a heavy steel plate.
Luckily, today there are many more options, made from ceramic, steel, polyethylene, and aramid.
WHAT IS BALLISTIC STEEL?
Bulletproof steel is hardened steel, specifically designed to be abrasion-resistant.
It’s used in snowplows, mining machinery, and firearm target creations for the range.
This steel is perfect for snowplows and mining machinery because it can withstand the constant abrasion of hitting other metals and hardened surfaces.
However, ballistic steel is not certified through the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) for ballistic armor.
Bulletproof steel will most likely stop all handgun bullets but is not guaranteed to stop supersonic rifle caliber bullets.
Ceramic Body Armor
Ceramic is an inorganic, non-metallic material, customarily made from alumina or carbide.
It’s been used in body armor since around the Vietnam Conflict for its lightweight properties.
With the ever-changing technologies out today, many soldiers have worn both steel and ceramic body armor plates. Modern ceramic armor is generally made from a composite that features alumina ceramic, silicon carbide ceramic, and boron carbide ceramic.
WHAT IS BORON CARBIDE?
Standard ceramic composite material can be very brittle. However, Boron Carbide is one of the strongest materials on earth, behind the pure diamond.
Our military uses it in everything from tank armor to ballistic shields and body armor. It’s incredibly rigid and hard but is still able to absorb and deflect energy.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF CERAMIC ARMOR
Lightweight – ceramic is often about 5-6 lbs. per square foot versus the 10.2 for steel.
Ceramic is better at absorbing and dispersing energy than steel. This will result in less broken ribs, broken sternum, and collapsed lungs.
Ceramic does better against supersonic armor-piercing bullets than steel.
You can add PE or Kevlar to ceramic to reduce the force of a bullet. This customization gives ceramic plates better protection.
Disadvantages
Ceramic plates are often thicker and reduce the soldier’s mobility.
Ceramic plates can’t handle multiple rounds in the same area. Once a ceramic plate is hit, it normally shatters upon impact. It’s great at stopping 1-3 rounds, but steel is better at stopping multiple bullets.
Ceramic plates are much more expensive than steel plates.
Ceramic plates need more care and maintenance than steel. Ceramic will also only last about 5-7 years, versus 15-20 for steel.
PURE Polyethylene
Polyethylene is the most common type of plastic used in the world today.
Body armor is generally made from a specific kind of polyethylene, called Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE).
The UHMWPE is rated as the most durable thermoplastic produced. It’s known to have excellent chemical inertness, self-lubricity, and impact resistance.
It’s also proven to be 15 times more abrasion-resistant than carbon steel.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF POLYETHYLENE ARMOR
Advantages
UHMWPE is the lightest body armor on this list (so far).
Has the highest chemical inertness of any of the armors listed above. This means that if chemicals spill or are thrown on your armor, it will not react to the chemical. This helps keep the wearer safe from chemical reactions on their body.
UHMWPE has phenomenal self-lubricity. This means the armor reduces friction with anything it touches. This allows the armor to move freely and last longer than ceramic and steel.
It can stop multiple bullets in the same place without cracking, deflecting, or reducing its effectiveness.
Disadvantages
UHMWPE is more expensive than ceramic and steel.
HUSTA is special in manufacturing and supplying bulletproof products, we can offer you the guaranteed ballistic products with competitive price. If you have any interest in the ballistic plate, please feel free to contact us by email mail@huastatactical.com, we will reply to you as soon as we can.