Patent ID: 6895851

Claim:
An integrated layered armor, comprising: A plurality of layers comprising at least one hard layer, at least one metal matrix composite layer, and at least one metal enveloping layer, each hard layer exhibiting a degree of hardness capable of shattering or stopping a projectile impacting thereon and dissipating at least a portion of the kinetic energy associated with the resulting projectile pieces which impact on said hard layer, wherein said metal matrix composite layer comprises a reinforcement material, said reinforcement material having a fraction of void volume, said metal matrix composite further comprising a metal, said metal infiltrated within said void volume of said reinforcement material during infiltration casting, wherein said reinforcement material further comprises a fraction of closed void spaces therein, said closed void spaces not infiltrated with said metal during said infiltration casting, said closed void spaces defining crush zones therein, said metal matrix composite layer exhibiting a degree of ductility which causes said metal matrix composite layer to yield under the force of impinging pieces of the shattered projectile which pass through an adjacent hard layer thereby dissipating at least a portion of the remaining kinetic energy, with each of said plurality of metal matrix composite layers formed by metal infiltration casting, said metal infiltration casting binding said plurality of layers together to form an integrated structure, said metal infiltration encapsulating said plurality of layers to form a dense hermetic metal matrix composite in the desired product shape geometry.