A new type of transparent armor made of aluminum could one day replace glass in military vehicles.
在不久的將來，新型的
鋁制透明裝甲將取代目前應用于軍用車輛的
玻璃制品。
The product is called aluminum oxynitride. It is being tested by the Army and the University of Dayton Research Institute in Ohio.
該產品名為氧氮化鋁，其已通過俄亥俄州代頓大學研究所的測試。
The material is a ceramic compound with a high compressive strength and durability, according to an Army statement issued this week. It performs better than the multilayered glass products currently in use, and its about half the weight. It is virtually scratch-resistant.
據悉，該原料是一種復合
陶瓷產品，擁有高
壓縮強度和
耐久性。其性能優于目前正在使用的多層
玻璃制品，且重量僅為多層玻璃制品的一半。此外，其還具備很高的抗劃性。
Glass is still used in the new process, being sandwhiched between an outer layer of the polished aluminum oxynitride and a polymer backing.
但玻璃至今還應用于新的設計之中，其主要夾于氧氮化鋁所制外層及聚合體墊料之間。
.50-caliber test
.50口徑子彈穿透測試
In a test this summer, the product held up to a .50-caliber sniper's rifle with amor-piercing bullets. Traditional glass armor did not survive the test.
在試驗中，該產品能阻擋狙擊步槍.50口徑子彈的射入。傳統的玻璃則不能成功通過此項測試。
Officials hope the product will prove even more useful when considering more severe threats, such as explosives.
官員們希望該產品在經歷爆炸類的嚴重威脅時能起到更好的效果。
"The higher the threat, the more savings you're going to get," La Monica said. "With glass, to get the protection against higher threats, you have to keep building layers upon layers. But with [the new product], the material only needs to be increased a few millimeters."
La Monica表示，“襲擊越危險，該產品安全系數更高。在遭遇威脅的時候，建筑的玻璃厚度需要不斷增加。但是如果使用此類新型產品，該原料只需要增厚幾毫米。”
"Achieving protection at lighter weights will allow the armor to be more easily integrated into vehicles," said Ron Hoffman, a researcher at University of Dayton Research Institute.
代頓大學研究所研究員Ron Hoffman表示，重量更輕的原料更容易應用于車輛之中。
Cost vs. Durability
成本和
耐用性的對比
Time, blowing sand and other environmental factors degrade glass surfaces. The aluminum material is expected to retain its clarity for much longer.
時間、風沙及其他環境因素將消磨玻璃表層。鋁原料則能更長時間的保持它的
透明度。
The military is considering installing the aluminum windows on Humvees and low-flying, slower aircraft like the the C-130 Hercules.
軍事部
門在擬定新計劃，考慮在軍用悍馬車以及像C-130大力神運輸機這樣低空飛行、速度較慢的飛機上安置
鋁型材窗戶。
The holdup for now is price.
目前首要解決的是其價格問題。
Traditional transparent armor costs less than $4 per square inch. The aluminum oxynitride is now at least $10 per square inch. That price would come down with mass production. And the material's longevity would make it cost less than the initial price tag would indicate.
傳統的透明裝甲每平方英寸價格低于4美元，但氧氮化鋁目前每平方英寸要花費至少10美元。此價格只能在大量生產的時候會有所降低。由于使用壽命長，從長遠來看，該材料的應用將實現更多資金節省。
"It might cost more in the beginning, but it is going to cost less in the long run because you are going to have to replace it less," La Monica said.
La Monica表示，在最初投產期產品成本可能較高。但是從長遠來看，產品成本將逐漸降低。
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