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      1. Home
      2. Products
      3. Photonic Products
      4. Synthetic Sapphire
      5. Transparent Protective Window

      Transparent Protective Window Systems

      Armor Glass next to after test shot

      SAFirE™ Transparent Protection Solutions address the ever-increasing demands of high-velocity (kinetic energy) projectile protective performance at a reduced weight and thickness. Results from our latest designs have shown a greater than 50% reduction in weight and thickness at improved kinetic energy protective performance compared to traditional glass solutions. Alternatively, performance can be significantly enhanced without increasing weight and thickness. Sapphire is superior over ALON® and Spinel in optical and stopping power protective performance and is immediately available for high volume, large aperture platforms. 
       
      Our transparent protective product line incorporates EFG™ Sapphire, the hardest transparent material 2nd only to diamond, which provides an extremely hard and abrasion-resistant strike face that ‘breaks’ the projectile upon impact. SAFirE™ solutions have been designed to meet a variety of threats while providing improved situational awareness in both the visual and Infra-Red spectra. SAFirE™ is currently being used in both ground vehicle and rotary-wing platforms.
       
      Choosing the proper material depends on forces experienced by the part, required wavelength range of the optics, overall weight envelope of the platform, and other design constraints.

       

       

      Uses/Applications

      • Ground vehicles
      • Rotary wing aircraft
      • Protective shields
      • Personal protection
      • Building / facility security
       

      Features/Benefits

      • >50% reduction in weight & thickness
      • Significant abrasion resistance
      • Improved night vision transmittance
      • Reduced risk of delamination
      • ‘Breaks’ the projectile
      • Chemically inert

       

      Size Range

      Standard available sheet product features include:

      • Unpolished, “As Grown”, thickness from .060” to .500” (1.5 to 12.7 mm)
      • Polished thickness from .030” to .35” (0.76 to 8.9 mm)
      • Widths to 12.0” (304 mm), Lengths to 81.0” (2057 mm)
      • Disk diameters 0.125” to 12.0” (3.1 to 304 mm)
      • Standard available tube sizes range from .06” to 1.7” (1.5 mm to 43.0 mm) outside diameter
      • Standard available rod sizes up to .30” (7.6 mm) diameter and 40.0” (1016 mm) length

      Material Comparison

      Material Comparison to Saint-Gobain Synthetic Sapphire Window

      Transparency Type Material

      Density

      g/cc

      Areal Density

      psf/in

      Young's Modulus

      Gpa

      Knoop Hardness

      Kg/mm2

      Fracture Toughness

      MPa-m1/2

      Thermal Conductivity

      W/m-K

      Thermal Expansion

      10-7/K

      Glass Soda-Lime Glass 2.52 13.1 69.6 585 0.75 0.9 - 1.3 90
      Glass-Ceramic Li-Alumino-Silicate 2.52 13.1 88.5 570 1.1 1.6 - 1.3 0
      Ceramic ALON® 3.69 19.2 323 1850 2 9.6 56
      Spinel 3.58 18.6 277 1645 1.5 - 2 14.7 60
      Sapphire 3.9 20.2 435 2000 2 32 60
      Metal Armor Steel 7.9 40.8 210 340 7 40 - 60 115

      Note: Armor steel (opaque) is included as a reference only 

      Sapphire Material Properties

      Physical/Mechanical

      Properties Value
      Density  3.97 gm/cm3 (0.143 lb/in3) (25°C)
      Young’s Modulus 435 GPa (63 x 106 psi) parallel to C-axis (25°C)
      386 GPa (56 x 106 psi) parallel to C-axis (1000°C)
      Modulus of Rigidity (Shear Modulus) 175 GPa (26 x 106 psi)
      Flexural Strength 1035 MPa (150 kpsi) parallel to C-axis (25°)
      760 MPa (110 kpsi) perpendicular to C-axis (25°)
      Compressive Strength ≈2 GPa (300 kpsi) (25°)
      Hardness

      9 Mohs scale (between 20° and 25°C)

      1900 Knoop parallel to C-axis
      2200 Knoop perpendicular to C-axis

      Optical

      Properties Value
      Transmission UV through midwave IR (~200-5000nm)
      Uniaxial Negative Refractive Index Ordinary ray (C-axis) No = 1.768
      Extraordinary ray Ne-1.760
      Birefringence: 0.008
      Temperature Coefficient of Refractive Index 13 X 10-6/°C (visible range)
      Spectral Emittance 0.1 (1600°C)
      Spectral Absorption 0.1 – 0.2cm-1 (0.66 μm, 1600°C)

      Thermal

      Properties Value
      Melting Point 2053°C (3727°F)
      Specific Heat 0.181 cal/gm°K (25°C)
      0.300 cal/gm°K (1000°C)
      Thermal Conductivity 0.4 watts/cm°K (25°C)
      0.1 watts/cm°K (1000°C)
      Thermal Expansion Coefficient (25 – 1000°C)
      8.8 x 10-6; parallel to C-axis
      7.9 x 10-6; perpendicular to C-axis

       

      Related Resources

       Sapphire Material Properties

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