Anti-Beam Coating (Solar Era)

Anti-Beam Coating (aka A-BC or B-RC) is a global term that also includes Beam-Resistant Coating, and is a technology used by Federation forces to improve protection against particle beam weapons.

Beam-Resistant Coating
Originally developed to protect the interior lining of ship-based beam cannons, beam-resistant coating is a multi-stage application process that reduces the heat damage of particle weapons. The beam-resistant coating consist of is a Zinc-Oxide nanostructure deposited onto the armour, covered with heat conductive gel, together designed to disperse heat over a larger surface area. Improved versions of B-RC later used a dual-layered solid polymer "sandwich", containing a heat conductive liquid resin within. This ensures the shield is not compromised by impacts from small debris or microasteroids, filling the gaps through a "self-healing" process like the debris shields on Peacekeeper space stations.

While this does not protect the armour outright from particle beam attacks, the reduced temperature makes it difficult for SR particle weapons to induce molecular disruption in targets. As a result, the armour may suffer thermal damage from beam weapons and begin melting, but are significantly less likely to explode afterwards.

Beam-Resistant Coating is most effective when applied to large single pieces of armour, often reserving its use for mobile suit shields for mass application. Heavy beam weapons also use the coating process to improve weapon lifetimes by applying to the interior of the barrel, though these often cannot be renewed in the field, while shield coatings can be relatively easily reapplied. Ship armour may be given B-RC as well if assigned to frontline positions, but the time taken to apply a new coating after every engament is an expensive and time-consuming process.

Anti-Beam Coating
Anti-Beam Coating is a far more effective option, consisting of multiple repeating layers of the Zinc-Oxide nanostructure and heat conductive gel. This nanostructure creates a far more effective three-dimensional formation throughout the gel, able to withstand repeated hits to the same area before melting away. Additionally, the gel contains ferromagnetic filings to disperse incoming particle beams.

A-BC is more expensive to create, but is considerably more effective. It is often reserved for select units and to protect machines with SiDE Field generators when the field is recharging. Areas with Anti-Beam Coating applied have a distinctive silver sheen to them.