Using thermal deposition for ballistic protection plates of bulletproof vests

The present study focuses on enhancing ballistic protection, a critical factor in the performance and reliability of modern military equipment. Improving ballistic resistance is essential to ensure the personal safety of military personnel, particularly through optimizing protective vests. In this work, thermal spraying using a plasma jet was performed on Armox ballistic steel substrates, employing both metallic and ceramic powders as feedstock. The coated samples, prepared to predetermined dimensions, were subjected to extensive evaluation of their mechanical and microstructural properties to characterize their behavior in relation to ballistic protection efficiency. Investigations conducted by optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) enabled detailed assessments of coating adhesion to the substrate, as well as analyses of the coating morphology, thickness uniformity, and porosity. The interface between the deposited layer and the base material was also examined. To assess the potential of the coatings, tribological tests, including microscratch and microindentation analyses, were performed. The study provides a comparative assessment of the performance of metallic and ceramic coatings, aiming to evaluate the applicability of thermal spray deposits for improving the ballistic resistance of armor plates integrated into individual (body) military protection systems.