Reinforced metal alloy for enhanced armor protection and methods

Abstract

An armor plate is provided having a lamination of an embedded reinforcement basalt fiber mesh within a laminated cast metal alloy; and at least two layers of an aramid fiber. A process to make the armor plate can include suspending a basalt weave within a mold; heating aluminum 6061 or 7075 alloy to a molten state; pouring the molten aluminum into the mold; cooling the resultant matrixed aluminum to ambient temperature; and laminating at least two layers of ballistic fiber to the matrixed aluminum.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An armor plate, comprising a lamination of: an embedded carbon fiber weave within a laminated cast metal alloy; and at least two layers of an aramid fiber. 
     
     
         2 . The armor plate of  claim 1 , wherein the cast metal alloy further comprises a ceramic particulate in the range of 1 to 60 percent by volume of the cast metal alloy and in the range of 3-44 microns in diameter. 
     
     
         3 . The armor plate of  claim 2 , the ceramic particulate is in the range of 40 to 50 percent by volume of the cast metal alloy and in the range of 6-20 microns in diameter. 
     
     
         4 . The armor plate of  claim 1 , wherein the metal alloy is aluminum 6061 or 7075. 
     
     
         5 . The armor plate of  claim 1 , further comprising a 10 mil blast mitigation and protective coat. 
     
     
         6 . The armor plate of  claim 3 , further comprising a label on a side of the plate configured to be the strike face surface, the label identifying the strike face and a standardized classification. 
     
     
         7 . The armor plate of  claim 2 , wherein the ceramic particulate is at least one of silicon carbide and boron carbide. 
     
     
         8 . The armor plate of  claim 1 , wherein the carbon fiber weave is in the range of ⅛″ and ⅜″ square. 
     
     
         9 . The armor plate of  claim 1 , wherein the laminated cast metal alloy is ⅜″ thick.