An armor component including a body having a first portion including calcium boride compounds include non-stoichiometric calcium boride (CaB.sub.x) and stoichiometric calcium boride (CaB.sub.6) and having a density of at least about 80% theoretical density. In one aspect, the first portion can include a first phase comprising silicon carbide (SiC) and a second phase comprising calcium boride (CaB.sub.6). In another aspect, the first portion can further include a third phase comprising boron carbide (B.sub.4C).

Silicon carbide composite materials contain CSiC with a density of 2.95 to 3.05 g/cm.sup.3 and a fiber bundle content of 2 to 10 wt. %. The fiber bundles have a length of 6 to 20 mm, a width of 0.2 to 3 mm, and a thickness of 0.1 to 0.8 mm. The fiber bundles are filled with a cured phenolic resin content of up to 45 wt. %, and the protected fiber bundles are integrated into an SiC matrix. A method produces the silicon carbide composite materials.

A silicon carbide based material exhibiting high strength, good thermal shock resistance, high resistance to abrasion and being chemically stable to harsh environmental conditions is described. The carbide Ball Hill ceramic comprises a -SiAlON bonding phase in which sintering is facilitated by at least one rare earth oxide sintering agents incorporated within the Vibrating Sieve batch admixture as starting materials. The residual rare earth sintering aid being chosen so as to impart good mechanical and refractory properties.