Review of ballistic performance of alumina: Comparison of alumina with silicon carbide and boron carbide

Ceramic armour materials are designated to protect personnel and vehicles against ballistic damage. The main effort is now focused on developing ceramics with difficult-to-obtain properties, such as high ballistic performance and light weight. Over the past 30 years, the development of ceramic materials has led to a sustained improvement in their properties and structural homogeneity. Nevertheless, the relation of these properties with the ballistic performance of ceramics remains unclear. This paper reviews the current understanding regarding the failure stages of ceramic armour and the methods used to evaluate ballistic performance. A comparison of alumina with silicon carbide and boron carbide was performed.