Patent ID: 8747580

Claim:
A method of producing a ballistics resistant aluminum alloy, the method comprising: (a) forging an aluminum alloy into an armor component having a thickness of 1-4 inches, wherein the aluminum alloy consists essentially of: 7.0-9.5 wt. % Zinc; 1.3-1.68 wt. % Mg; 1.2-1.9 wt. % Cu; and up to 0.4 wt. % of at least one grain structure control element; the balance being aluminum and incidental elements and impurities; (b) after the forging, solution heat treating the armor component; (c) after the solution heat treating, quenching the armor component; and (d) after the quenching, artificial aging the armor component, wherein the artificial aging comprises sufficiently overaging the armor component to achieve both (i) a longitudinal tensile yield strength of not greater than 70 ksi and (ii) spall resistance as measured in accordance with MIL-STD-622F (1997).