To:

Mr. Nyoman Supriyatna

National Standardization Agency of Indonesia BSN
Gedung Manggala Wanabakti Blok IV Lt. 4
Jl. Gatot Subroto, Senayan, Jakarta, 10270 Indonesia
Phone
: (+62-21) 5747043/44 ext. 215
Fax
: (+62-21) 5747045
e-mail
: kerj_int@bsn.or.id
The Author:
Ir. SOEYATNO
Jl. Pulo Nangka Timur III-B/1
Kayu Putih, Pulogadung
Jakarta Timur 13260
Telp.
: (62-21) 4722349
Fax
: (62-21) 47864015
e-mail
: soeyatno@indoprima-group.com
or
Fakultas Teknik
Jurusan Teknik Kimia
Divisi Keramik
Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta
Telp.
: (62-21) 42882001
Fax
: (62-21) 42882001

CURRICULUM VITAE
Name
Age
Basic Education

: SOEYATNO
: 65 years
: Chemical Engineering UGM (1965)
Management Course AIM Philippines (1993)
Ceramic Training in Netherlands (1970)
Food Technology training in Netherlands (2006)
Experiences
:
36 years in Ceramic Industry KIA Group (1965-2001)
18 years as Operation Director and Project Director KIA Group
5 years as Chairman of ASAKI / Ceramic Industry Association of Indonesia
(1990-1995)
2 years as Vice Chairman of CICA (Ceramic Industry Club of ASEAN)
Having experience to build 7 big ceramic factory from land clearing up to
start-up worth 150 m USD (1995-1998)
10 years lecturer in Ceramic Technology University of Muhammadiyah
Jakarta/UMJ (1997-2006)
Have visited almost one hundred ceramic factories all over the world
except ceramic factory in Africa
Speaker in the International Seminar about Ceramic Armor (2006)
The Founder of Small Medium Scale Industry Manufacturing Wooden Cable
Drum (operate since 2001)
As Consultant in Agrobisnis PT. Biofuel Bigcassava Sukabumi, 2007
The Founder of Indoprima Ceramics Consultant since 2005.

ABSTRACT
CERAMIC ARMOR WILL BE REPLACED
BY COMPOSITE ARMOR VERY SOON
Ceramic armor have been exist for more than 30 years. They
replaced metal armor which is much higher weight.
One of the biggest producer of ceramic armor is Bittosi in
Spain. It is secret or confidential product, so there are no
open promotion at all. Ceramic armor is not the main
products of Bitossi, but side product. Their main products are
alubit liming and balls for ceramic industry, paint and
pharmacy.

Their ceramic armor product have been used by many

countries in Europe and NATO. Actually, ceramic armor is
still too heavy for the soldier since its weight is approximately
8,6 kg depending on its size and still too rigid. Therefore,
people still looking for more convenience product which is
resist to shooting, flexible or not rigid and lighter.
The answer is composite product which is developed by De
Staat Mijn-DSM Research Campus Geleen of the
Netherlands, which specialized in polymer research. They
have proved very successfully by shooting, flexible or not
rigid and its weight only about one third to ceramic armor.
That is a composite product from PE (Poly Ethylene)
reinforced by carbon fibers. The composite armor consist of
20 layers of PE sheet reinforced by carbon fibers with the
thickness of 0.15 mm each sheet. Since this product is far
better compared to ceramic armor, therefore composite
armor will replace ceramic armor very soon. It is only a
matter of time.

TOPIC
CERAMIC ARMOR WILL BE REPLACED
BY
COMPOSITE ARMOR VERY SOON
1. CERAMIC ARMOR
Alubit is a ceramic material which has
excellent technical spesification. Very
hard, strong, not brittle and having very
high tensile strength, bending strength,
impact strenght and compressive strength.
Therefore, alubit mozaic have been proven
resist to shooting. That is why alubit is
used for the construction of ceramic armor.

2. ALUBIT & BITOSSI

Alubit is a brand name for high alumina ceramic
product produced by Bitossi. Bitossi is a ceramic
company in Spain which produce lining and balls
for grinding of ceramic body, glaze, paint and
others. Alubit mozaic for ceramic armor is only
their side product. Their main product are alubit
lining and balls. They produce thousands tons per
year and sold to ceramic and paint industry all
over the world. Alubit is a leading product in the
market due to their quality and availability. Have
been in the market since more than 30 years ago.

3. BITOSSI & COLLOROBBIA

Bitossi is a member of Collorobbia
Group, a big ceramic company in Italy.
They produce glaze, frite and colour
pigment. Their product is used by
ceramic company all over the world.
Bitossi spesialize produce only alubit
lining, balls and their side product
alubit mozaic for ceramic armor.

HOW TO PRODUCE
ALUBIT?
4. ALUBIT BODY COMPOSITION
Body composition of alubit are as follows:
97% alumina
3% kaolin or white burning clay
Before pressing the body powder was
added a small quantity of CMC or Arabic
gom as binder.

5. BODY GRINDING
Alumina, clay and water to be ground in a
ball mill using alubit lining and balls.
Grinding is done very fine. The parameter
is finer than 2 micron above 60%. The
grain size fineness is determined by
SEDIGRAPH laboratory equipment. It is
very long grinding time to reach the
necessary fineness. Such fineness is
needed to reduce the firing temperature.

6. POWDER PREPARATION
The slip body is changed to powder
by spray dryer. Since the body
powder is very poor in plasticity due
to small quantity of clay only, CMC
or Arabic gom should be added in
small quantity. The powder is ready
to be pressed.

7. FORMING
Alubit lining since their shape is
trapezoidal, therefore can be pressed
normal, but for alubit balls we should do
different way. Forming is done isostatic
pressing. Using double rubber mould and
hydraulic oil, the isostatic pressing is
done. So, all part of the alubit balls having
the same strength. Ceramic armor consist
of many of alubit mozaic to be combined.
The forming of alubit mozaic is by normal
pressing two fine hole in each side is
made.

8. FIRING
Firing of the products is done in small tunnel kiln by using
saggar. The firing cycle is very exceptional. Most of the firing
curve is used for soaking time. Total firing cycle is 60 hours.
Pre-heating 10 h
Soaking time 40 h
Cooling
10 h

1360oC

10

50

60

9. TECHNICAL SPESIFICATION
The technical spesification of alubit product including
the ceramic armor are as follows:
Technical Spesification
Product/
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Al2O3 content
Spesific gravity
Porosity
Hardness Mohs
Rockwell
Compressive strength
Bending strenght
Elasticity modulus
106
Impact strength
Colour

Units

Alubit

Ceramic Armor
%
97
gr/cm3
3,7
%
0
9
R45N
75-79
kp/cm2
22,000
kp/cm2
3,400
kp/cm2
2.8 x
kpcm/cm2
-

8
white

10. CONSTRUCTION OF CERAMIC ARMOR

Ceramic armor is constructed by many alubit

mozaic, connected by metallic wire. The size
of alubit mozaic are 38 x 38 x 4 mm.
Covered by textile and sewn. The armor
should suit to the body of the soldier.
Therefore, there are some sizes depend on
the body. Ceramic armor normally use as a
jacket, outside the cloth of the soldier.
Ceramic armor only protect the main body of
the soldier. The ceramic armor weight about
8.6 kg depend on its size.

11. WHY CERAMIC ARMOR SHOULD

BE CHANGED?
Ceramic armor should be changed
because of the following reason:
1. Too heavy: making the soldier not
convenient.
2. Too rigid
: making the soldier not so
flexible in movement.
3. Only cover the main body: only protect
part of the soldier body.

12. COMPOSITE ARMOR

Composite armor consist of several layer of
very thin composite sheet with total
thickness about 3 mm. Composite sheets are
carbon fibres reinforced polyethylene in thin
sheet form. Composite CRPE is strong and
good material, but flexible and not rigid.
Composite armor is strong, light and not rigid
(flexible), so more convenient for the soldier.
The composite armor is developed by DSM
Research Campus Geleen of the Netherlands.
Have been tested shooting test with good
result and only 2.9 kgs weight.

13. COMPOSITE CRPE

Composite CRPE (Carbon fibres

Reinforced Poly-Ethylene) consist of
carbon fibres as reinforcement and
polyethylene as matrix or bonding
material. This material has very good
mechanical strength, bending strength,
tensile strength and impact strength.
Can be produced in a very thin sheet
0.15 mm (150 micron), but have good
stregth and flexible (not rigid).

14. DSM RESEARCH CAMPUS GELEEN

DSM Research Campus Geleen in Netherlands former is a
State Coal Mine. After the coal mine closed the activity
move to polymer research campus. The progress of the
research campus is very fast and so advance. Thanks to
the finding of the micro laboratory equipment, which drive
the research progress very fast.
The micro laboratory equipment can be used for testing
with only 5-15 grams raw material. There are 4 micro
laboratory equipments: micro extruder,
micro injection molders,
micro cast film device
and micro fibre spinning.
DSM Research Campus Geleen
invented the composite armor.
Have been tested and proven
with a good result.

15. TECHNICAL SPESIFICATION

The composite armor is made of Carbon fibres
Reinforced Poly-Ethylene (CRPE). This CRPE has very
good mechanical strength as follows:
Specific gravity
kg/cm3
1.76
Flexural
lbf/in2
218,200
Tensile modulus lbf/in2
21 x 106
Compressive strength lbf/in2
143,900
Compressive modulus lbf/in2
26 x 106

16. DSM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

DSM Research Campus Geleen

develop the carbon fibres composite
for the usage in aircraft, aerospace
and automotive. Other product is
imitation grass.

17. THE CONSTRUCTION OF COMPOSITE

ARMOR
Composite armor consists of 20 layers CRPE
with 0.150 mm thick. The layers are combine
by heat in many points or lines. Then cut to
become an armor design. There are some
advantage using composite armor.
1. Very light only 2.9 kgs or about one third of
ceramic armor weight.
2. Flexible and not rigid like ceramic armor.
3. Can be used either outside the cloth of the
soldier or inside.
4. Because very light can protect lower part of
the body as short parts.
5. More convenience to be used.

18. COMPARISON BETWEEN CERAMIC

ARMOR AND COMPPOSITE ARMOR
Ceramic Armor

Composite Armor

1.

Basic material used

Ceramic

Composite CRPE

2.

s.g in gr/cm3

3.70

1.76

3.

Hardness
Mohs scale
Rockwell

9
78

4.

Rigid / flexible

Rigid

Flexible

5.

Weight, kgs

8.6

2.9

6.

Thickness, mm

7.

Protection

Main body only

Main body and lower

body (short parts)

8.

Usage

Outside cloth

Outside or inside

9.

Convenient

Less convenient

More convenient

10 Strength
.

Strong enough

Strong enough

11 Shooting test result

Good

Good

19. CONCLUSION
Since there are many advantage of
composite armor compared to ceramic
armor, therefore composite CRPE armor will
be the future armor. Strong, light, more
convenient and can protect more part of the
body. Ceramic armor will be no longer in the
market and will be replaced by composite
armor very soon. It is only a matter of time.
>>> Thank You <<<

References:
1.

Anil Kumar, Kantosh K. Gupta. Fundamentals of Polymer Science and Engineering. Tata
Mc Graw Hill Publishing Co, Ltd, New Delhi.
2.
Balta P And Balta E. Physical Chemistry of the Vitreous State. Abacus Press, Tunbridge,
Kent, England.
3.
Bitossi Leaflets, Alubit Products.
4.
Davidge R.W. Mechanical Behaviour of Ceramics. Solid State Science. Cambridge
University Press.
5.
Factory Visit In Bitossi Factory, Spain, 1996.
6.
Felix Singer, Dr. Ing, Dr. Phil, M.I. Chen E, F.I. Ceram And Sonja S. Singer, MA, BSc.
7. Gill R.M. BSc, Phd, C. Eng, ARIC, A.M. Inst. F, F.I.Ceram. Carbon Fibers In Composite
Materials. London Illiffe Books
8.Hayne Palmour III, R.F. Davis And T.M. Hare. Processing of Crystalline Ceramics.
9.
James S. Reed. Principles of Ceramic Processing. John Wiley & Son, New York.
10. Lombi, Ir. Dr And Tiesnitsch, Johon, Ir. Dr. Paper Presentation on April 2006 in DSM
Research Campus Geleen, The Netherlands.
11. Rutten, H.J.J., Ir, MBA, Paper for Presentation, April 2006. DSM Research Campus
Geleen, The Netherlands.
12. Sacmi, Italy. From Technology Through Machinery To Kilns.
13. Training in DSM Polymer Research Campus, Geleen of The Netherlands, on April 2006.
14. Vincenzini, P. Energy and Ceramic Ics, Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company. Amsterdam
Oxford New York.