Zortrium is a metal-ceramic composite which provides a much improved degree of protection at a fraction of the mass of the older 'pure' metal materials.
Its structure consists of a hexagonal Tritanium lattice which has been through at least three cycles of plasma heat treatment making it incredibly tough although still retaining a large degree of flexibility.
Inside each hexagonal cell (which is only few millimetres across) a liquid ceramic is injected where it sets and bonds to the cell walls giving this material improved resistance to thermal energy damage.
Trivia:
The first attempts to create Zortrium were laborious and time consuming affiars, with even small quantities taking months to prepare with laser injectors and magnetic tubules.
Today micro-teleporters are used to insert the ceramic components almost instantaneously throughout the entire structure.