Ceramic Armor Strengths and Weaknesses

Every material intended to resist ballistic threats has strengths and weaknesses, pros and cons.  Ceramic is no exception.  This brief conversation will be straightforward without a lot of time spent in describing the differences between all types of ballistic ceramic tile.

Ceramic armor plates are built by combining a ceramic strike face with a backing material through an adhesive layer and strong bond.  

Here's a fact and probably the most outstanding reason that people choose ceramic composite armor versus other types of materials:  It can resist armor piercing (or armor piercing like) projectiles. If it weren't for this - most people would be wearing 100% Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight-Polyethylene (UHMWPE) plates. No other material intended for ballistic resistance can routinely outperform a properly designed (to meet the threat) ceramic strike face paired with an appropriate backing material.

If your goal is to resist powerful projectiles like steel penetrators (M855, M855A1, M80A1), .30 M2 AP or fast moving lead ball FMJ (M193), then ceramic is for you.  If resistance against these types of rounds is not a priority for you, then purchase a 100% UHMWPE plate.  In some case, UHMWPE plates can achieve a thickness (around 1.1" - 1.2") that can stop most M855 shot from 18" barrels.

I don't recommend steel due to bullet fragmentation and weight issues. I have seen many fragmentation coatings come off steel plates after one or two hits, especially when shot with .308 or higher.

Here's what ceramic is not:  Ceramic is generally not great a stopping multiple hits in the vicinity of the original projectile (at a projectile mass and energy greater than stand alone backing material's ballistic resistance). Plus, the type of ceramic can matter to performance.  For example, silicon carbide is more effective in resisting tungsten core ammunition because the tungsten can be harder than the alumina ceramic surface.  Whether or not alumina ceramic stops tungsten is dependent on thickness, quality, backing materials and other factors.

This is one primary reason our hard armor plate designs incorporate backing materials tested to stop all powerful handgun threats (up to HG2).  If you are in a scenario that involves your ceramic armor plate being damaged (even by a powerful handgun) - the backing material alone will resist the threat, resulting in much greater multiple-hit resistance.

The multiple-hit capability of ceramic with regard to RF1, RF2 and RF3 projectiles (rifles), is significantly dependent on shot placement.  If you double-tap a ceramic armor plate with a powerful rifle round, there is a high probability of the second projectile passing through the armor. On this point, I have seen ceramic compacted into the UHMWPE fiber that resists 5.56 and .223 lead ball in the same armor location.  The armor plate design must be redundant, use a thick enough ceramic (whose fragments can be embedded after shot), and the backing material must be thick enough to handle it.

Some social media armor testing channels are very good at exploring the issue of ceramic stopping power. When watching these videos, pay special attention to the projectile material(s) and velocities for a true look at what the armor is capable of.

I often hear that "I don't need to stop .30 M2AP, so I don't need an RF3, Level IV plate." There are benefits to a well-designed RF3 ceramic plate that go beyond stopping a single round of .30 M2AP.  Some of these reasons are resistance to fast moving steel penetrators, a more robust backing that can sometimes resist .223 or 5.56 when embedded with ceramic fragments, and backing materials that can withstand HG2 threats on a standalone basis.  The main reason your should purchase an RF3 ceramic armor plate is because you want to stop at least one round of armor piercing (AP) or "AP-like" projectile.  If that's not important, then opt for an RF2 ceramic armor plate.  Our Model 6001 has a silicon carbide core, sandwiched between durable UHMWPE layers, is light... and will stop RF1 and RF2 threats.  On top of that, the backing is thick enough to stop some lower rifle ball calibers on its own, even after the ceramic is broken away.