A ceramic material formed at high temperature and are composed of the combination of the metallic and non-metallic element. The surprising thing in the application of ceramics in making armor is that it can provide up to level IV NIJ protection for low price, level III ceramic plates are lighter for up to 1kg than the level IV ceramic plate for 25x30cm / 10x12inch size. Brittle materials usually break into pieces on the application of force but not with these ceramic armor plates.
In the past, steel plates were mainly used in making armor, but they have two main disadvantages:
- The steel plates heavier than ceramic plates
- The main disadvantage of steel plates is that after a bullet hits it splinted into many fragments that spread around with huge speed in many directions including upper into your head, this has big chance to injure the wearer and people around him.
This ceramic plates usually come in 10″x12″ (25cmx30cm) size to fit the standard bulletproof vests that have special external pockets for these plates in front and rear of it, on outside of the bulletproof vest so when these plates are inserted the ballistic material of the bullet proof vest IIIA be between the body and the ceramic plates. As these plates usually require bulletproof vest of level IIIA to be used with.
This armor plates contains ceramic ballistic materials that are so strong that they will absorb the bullets energy and even if it will break into fragments it will absorb their energy also by disperse there force when it been hit.
The inner parts usually contain soft armor paddings so as to ease the effect on the wearer when they been hit. These bulletproof ceramic plates will not break and will stop the fragments of the bullet after their hit.
Israeli forces usually use ceramic plates to stop rifle rounds and fragments. The ceramic bullet proof plates are extremely vital to the survival of personnel as its lightweight ballistic materials (not lightweight as Polyethylene) and can stop bullet fired from rifles as AK and M16/M4. The plates will provide protection to the wearer with level III and level IV depends on the plate level.