Russia: RT-Khimcomposite produces new material for body armor

RT-Khimcomposite Holding produced the first test batch of borocarbon for the production of light and super durable ceramic for new-generation armor with enhanced characteristics, Rostec Corporation said.

6B46 bulletproof tactical vest. Body armor will benefit from the new borocarbon material for enhanced protection (Picture source: Vitaly Kuzmin)

The production technology was designed by the Ural Research Chemical Institute (UNIKHIM) of RT-Khimcomposite. The product corresponds to the requirements of the US ASTM C750-09 standard.

Borocarbon armor can be used to protect troops and hardware from medium-caliber 7.62mm and large-caliber 14.5mm bullets fired by sniper rifles and machineguns. "The technology produces output at the level of the best world analogues. The new material reduces weight of a soldier’s gear, including armored vests and protective helmets, without decreasing the protective qualities. The holding will produce borocarbon for the Russian makers of light ceramic armor," RT-Khimcomposite CEO Kirill Shubsky said.

UNIKHIM has earlier produced an experimental batch of borocarbon. It was used as raw material for the production of an armor element. The results showed the material can be used to produce armor elements of various size. Armor panels were successfully tested by TsNIITOCHMASH Institute.

RT-Khimcomposite developed the material in the framework of the import replacement program to ensure independence in critically important spheres.