04-09-2016, 12:31 AM
(04-08-2016, 09:42 PM)Surge Wrote: (Inconel was the example I was thinking of, it's highly sought after in aviation as I understand but working it slashes the lifespan of equipment involved to tiny fractions of what should otherwise be expected.
Another example, although diamond is one of the toughest materials on earth it would make poor armor due to the tendency of it to simply shatter instead of bending and warping like non-crystalline materials.)
//Inconel isn't optimal for armor or plating however. Especially on infantry. But yeah, it is a good example of something that is a lot more expensive due to machining costs.
Diamond is bad as armor for the same reason iron technically is. Yes. It shatters on it's stress markers. (Laughably one due to the other. IE high carbon content in iron.) And while on one hand it would make the ideal material for things like crash vests and helmets(with padding beneath). Meant to take one big hit and a bunch of small ones before being discarded. For actual armor ceramic, cheap and replacable while fulfilling the same ideal. Is better fit for it. Plus it is easy to re-use the discarded material and simply re-fire the plates. Pottery is nice. Thus ceramics. For all your cheap armor needs. EXTREME heat resistance. Absorbs all physical force in every direction from impacts. And really cheap so replaceable easily. You can even run armor consisting of two ceramic plates with a steel plate between and on the outside of each. Makes some really nice stuff.