The static and dynamic mechanical properties of a new low-carbon, low-alloy austempered steel

A promising potential application of this steel is a military vehicle armor plate; therefore, a small number of impact tests were performed to qualitatively assess the improvement in resistance. Impact testing was performed using projectiles propelled by a light gas gun; targets of mild steel and LCLA austempered at 316 °C were evaluated. Qualitative results reveal that, in comparison to the mild steel sample, the austempered LCLA samples suffered reduced damage and no penetration.