Patent attributes
A SiAlON ceramic armor made from a starting powder mixture. The ceramic armor contains between about 60 weight percent and about 98 weight percent alpha SiAlON phase that contains an alpha SiAlON-bound rare earth element and between about 2 weight percent and about 40 weight percent of a beta SiAlON phase of the formula Si6−zAlzOzN8−z wherein the value of “z” ranges between about 0.2 and about 1.0. The ceramic armor further comprising sintering aid residue present as a result of the starting powder mixture containing between about 4 weight percent and about 14 weight percent of an oxide of an alpha SiAlON-bound rare earth element. The ceramic armor has a fracture toughness (KIC) greater than about 6.00 M·Pa m1/2 and a Vickers hardness (HVN) equal to greater than about 17.5 GPa.
