Solutions for improving vehicle armour and personal protective equipment Disruptive improvements in vehicle and personnel protection We can help you make better protection systems by: • Improving the performance of conventional armour materials • Developing new nano-modified or hybrid materials and armour structures • Devising improved manufactur- ing and integration methods • Accelerating development and validation of new products • Assessing product performance through testing Corporal Shilo Adamson, Canadian Armed Forces, Combat Camera © 2010 DND-MDN Canada Cover photo: MCpl Kevin Paul, Canadian Armed Forces Combat Camera From Kevlar® to polymer composites, from RHA steel to advanced ceramics, vehicle armour and personal protective equipment based on conventional materials are rapidly approaching their performance limits. It is only through new and The SMT program integrates key Collectively, NRC and DRDC have strengths and capabilities from the experience to develop high- advanced material technolo- both organizations. NRC is the only performance material solutions and gies that significant gains in organization in Canada, and one of multi-threat protection solutions. few in the world, with integrated performance will be We work directly with Canadian world-class expertise in engineered industry and other partners across achieved. That’s why the materials, processing and perfor- the security materials supply chain National Research Council mance currently focused on the to develop improved and disruptive, design, testing and production of of Canada (NRC) has joined game-changing armour products advanced protection products. For from concept to full-scale prototyping forces with Defence Research its part, DRDC has capabilities and and evaluation. and Development Canada experience in assessing and validating novel armour systems. (DRDC) to deliver the Security Our technical advice and consulting services are designed to help acceler- Materials Technologies (SMT) ate, and substantially de-risk product research program. development. 2 Working with Canada’s foremost research and technology organization What we can provide Work with us • Reduced risk and significant cost Our technical advice and consult- • Access extensive scientific savings in product development ing services help our partners knowledge and technical succeed by capitalizing on NRC’s and • More efficient use of your valuable expertise – from constituent DRDC’s extraordinary strengths in the resources and research investments materials to armour science and engineering of advanced components and systems • More effective solutions in materials, manufacturing processes, less time and armour systems. • Access critical and world-class • Exploitation and transfer research infrastructure from of specialized knowledge nano-scale to full-scale • Develop unique customized solutions to maintain and NRC’s nanocomposites group, pictured below, was awarded the 2015 Public Service Award of Excellence improve your competitive edge in the Scientific Contribution category for their breakthrough work enabling the world’s first pilot-scale production of boron nitride nanotubes. L to R: Keun Su Kim, Mark Plunkett, Benoit Simard, Chris Kingston, Jingwen Guan, Mike Jakubinek 3 Materials Processing Armour Characterization Technologies & Manufacturing Systems & Testing About composites, hybrids and nano- modified materials • Composite material: A combination of two or more Stronger, tougher, lighter materials materials with very different properties, which creates a new material with characteristics possible, allowing for the creation different from the individual Nanomaterials of new, more efficient and higher- constituents. Improve and expand the performance material systems. • Nanomaterials: Materials with1596_BNNT - CNT propertiesperformance - Revised 2.pdf of 1 conventional2015-05-22 11:26 AM We have extensive scientific at least one dimension between and advanced materials and engineering knowledge 1 nm to 100 nm, often exhibiting Nanomaterials, such as carbon and experience manufacturing, extraordinary mechanical, nanotubes (CNTs) and boron nitride handling and optimizing the thermal or other properties. nanotubes (BNNTs), can enhance the integration of nanomaterials into Example: single-walled carbon properties and functions of current conventional materials to produce nanotubes, with a diameter of materials and introduce new func- high-performance materials and about 1 nm, are over 100 times tionalities that weren’t previously structures. stronger than steel by weight. • Nano-modified material: A composite material with at least BNNTs CNTs one constituent being a nano- material, imparting some of the • White extraordinary properties of the • Stable at higher nanomaterial(s) to the composite, temperature • Black • Low density even at low concentrations (>900 °C in air) • Stable at lower • High strength temperature (e.g. less than 1%). • Electrical insulator • High stiffness (400 °C in air) • Piezoelectric • Hybrid material: A type of • High thermal • Metallic or composite material with two • Transparent in the conductivity semi-conducting or more types of macroscopic visible and infra-red • High aspect spectrum (not nano-scale) constituents ratio • High neutron with quite different but comple- absorption mentary properties. For example, an aramid/carbon hybrid com- bines stiffness and ballistic resistance. 4 Materials Processing Armour Characterization Technologies & Manufacturing Systems & Testing Nano-modified materials and hybrids Translating the extraordinary proper- stability, moisture resistance and ties of nanomaterials into real-world electrical properties. armour applications requires effective Some nano-modified materials are integration into conventional high ready for near-term armour applica- performance armour materials. Our tions, while others will require longer materials experts have applied their term investments to reach their truly world-class skill sets in chemistry, disruptive potential. In many cases, physics, and process engineering to shorter-term benefits can be achieved successfully nano-modify a broad through creative engineering of range of materials including polymers, hybridized structures. Combining adhesives, textiles, metals, ceramics conventional engineering materials (e.g. Boron nitride nanotubes and glasses. aramid and carbon composites) in ways production capacity The resulting nano-modified engi- that leverage the best properties of neered materials can show not only each can create structures with greater The structural, electronic and improved strength, stiffness and performance than any single material. optical properties of BNNTs make toughness compared to the base Our team possess the skills in design, them promising candidates for material, but can also be designed materials, processing and manufactur- nano-modification of polymers, to improve flame and temperature ing to develop optimized hybrid glasses, metals and ceramics. material systems for your application. BNNTs are expected to lead to lighter and multifunctional materials for applications in Nanocomposite and hybrid materials can have a big aerospace, automotive, and effect on: defence and security. Of particular interest is the potential of BNNTs • Creating materials and structures • Materials designed for a specific as coatings or for bulk modifica- with unique properties possessed threat environment tion of transparent armour. by no single natural material • Multi-functional materials that • Functionally-graded materials avoid parasitic weight of multiple In 2015, NRC signed a licensing that transition from one property layers with different functions agreement with Tekna Plasma to another Systems Inc. allowing Tekna to • Improved armour system manufacture BNNTs in commercial performance quantities using NRC-developed methods. The patented technology produces BNNTs over 100 times faster than any earlier methods, opening the door to exploration of BNNTs in a wide range of applications. Carbon nanotubes grown directly on alumina fabric 5 Materials Processing Armour Characterization Technologies & Manufacturing Systems & Testing Flexible, scalable, industrial processes Modelling Manufacturing Our capabilities allow modelling and High-quality, repeatable and cost- simulation of processing, properties effective manufacturing processes and performance of materials and are critical in order to successfully transi- structures from the nano-scale to tion the next generation of high- full-scale. These capabilities can performance materials into successful NRC’s hot press armour products. We have extensive substantially reduce materials Whether we add nanoparticles to the knowledge of advanced processing and process development time, polymers or other additives, the end and manufacturing technologies. and de-risk product development. result is a polymer composite in a Our world-class expertise includes form that can be shaped into per- nanomaterials production and sonal protective equipment (PPE) integration, joining technologies, Our modelling tools or vehicle armour (VA). help to explore a wide polymers and advanced composites processing, metals and ceramics At the core of our armour products range of challenges processing, coatings technologies, manufacturing capabilities is the • Manufacturing process non-destructive inspection and Hot Press, a multi-process moulding development additive manufacturing. platform. In addition to an infra-red oven, it boasts an array of features We can manufacture