Aleris aluminium alloy cleared for US armour applications

A new aluminium alloy developed by Aleris has been cleared for use in North American defence armour applications by the US Army Research Lab (USARL) following extensive review and testing.

The 7017 aluminium alloy – issued MIL-DTL-32505 – has a weld compatibility that gives improved flexibility to armoured vehicle designers, enabling them to incorporate different design characteristics.  The balance of elements that comprise Aleris 7017 provides for advanced stress-corrosion cracking resistance while maintaining high strength and weldability properties. 

Lawrence Kramer, global defense field engineer, Aleris, said: ‘7017 has a unique combination of properties making it ideal for the most advanced armour solutions. These include high strength, weldability and corrosion resistance.  This alloy is currently utilised in Europe and Asia on combat vehicles to achieve superior ballistic protection.’

During testing, USARL put the 7017 through a series of standardised tests to validate the material's performance in the ballistic protection level, corrosion resistance and weldability.

Tyrone Jones, mechanical engineer in the Armor Mechanisms Branch, said: ‘The analysis has resulted in a significant protective benefit as Aluminium Alloy 7017 has demonstrated a reduction in spallation compared with the legacy AA7039. An armour plate must not only arrest the projectile, but mitigate the kinetic energy before it fatally compromises a protected asset.’