Patent ID: 7855159
Filing Date: 2010-12-21
Classification: C04B,F41H

Abstract:
1. A SiAlON ceramic armor made from a starting powder mixture, the ceramic armor comprising: a ceramic body comprising 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 Si the ceramic body 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, and between about 0.5 weight percent and about 5 weight percent of an oxide of an unbound rare earth element, and the alpha SiAlON-bound rare earth element being different from the unbound rare earth element; and the ceramic body having a fracture toughness (K