Properties

Patent status

Patents have been granted in USA, Austria, Germany, Spain, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Sweden. Patent pending in India.

Commercial rights

Sole Rights / Non-exclusive

Source

Dstl

Regions

Worldwide

Available to license

Yes

Project number

P1502

Sectors

safety security sector

Safety & Security

Related datasheet

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A readily machinable ultra-high hardness steel designed for armour plating.

Appliqué armour for fighting vehicles is both expensive and adds weight to the platform. Super Bainite Steel is a low-cost ultra-high hardness steel that provides an alternative to current protective armour plate. During live fire trials it has demonstrated performance matching that of current high hardness armour steels and some ceramic armours.

Super Bainite Steel (SBS) is a high performance steel with a ballistic performance at least twice that of conventional Rolled Homogenous Armour (RHA). It is both ultra-hard (600 Brinell) and highly effective against small arms fire.

A sample of perforated Super Bainite Steel
A sample of perforated Super Bainite Steel

SBS has advantages over existing high hardness steels as it has lower manufacturing costs and can be more readily formed into shapes other than flat plate.

Benefits

  • Ballistics performance meets the same European and NATO standards as Armox® 600 and MARS® 300
  • Half the weight for the same level of protection compared with RHA
  • Low-cost alternative due to its low chrome and nickel composition
  • Readily machinable in pearlite state or final form using conventional tooling
  • Simple manufacturing process

Applications

  • Armoured vehicle/compound protection
  • Wear-resistant steel components
  • Security barriers