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Suitability of Metals and Mineral Compounds as Materials for Ballistic Applications: A Review

Aishat O. Salawu, Misbahu A. Hayatu and, Abdulrauf A. Ibrahim

Abstract

The increasing lethality of modern weaponry has driven the continuous evolution of ballistic protection systems. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the suitability of metals and mineral compounds for ballistic applications. Metallic materials particularly high-strength steels, titanium alloys, and aluminum alloys offer exceptional properties such as strength, ductility, toughness, and proven performance as monolithic armor. However, their high density imposes significant mobility penalties. Mineral compounds, primarily advanced ceramics such as alumina (Al2O3), silicon carbide , boron carbide (B4C), and titanium diboride (TiB2), display ultra-high hardness and compressive strength at substantially lower densities a toughness, enabling lightweight protection through projectile fragmentation and energy distribution mechanisms. This paper systematically research on the ballistic performance, mechanical properties, damage mechanisms, and design considerations for both material classes. Emphasis is focused on emerging multi-material systems, including multi-metallic laminates, ceramic-faced composite armors, and metal matrix composites, which leverage the additional advantages of metals and ceramics to achieve optimized protection. Further research directions, including advanced processing techniques, nanostructured coatings, and computational design approaches, are also discussed.

Keywords

Ballistic protectionarmor materialshigh-strength steeltitanium alloysballistic ceramicsaluminasilicon carbideboron carbidemetal matrix compositesmulti-material armor.

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