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Most bullet-proof materials that cops wear today work by spreading out the force of a bullet’s impact. But that can still cause bruises or even severe damage to internal organs. Now researchers at the University of Sydney are using nanotechnology to develop a vest that conjures up images of Superman—the bullets bounce away harmlessly. The researchers worked on the nanometer scale—one billionth of a meter—with carbon nanotubes. A carbon nanotube is an atom thick-cylinder of graphite, like in pencil lead. They’re lightweight, extremely strong, and can absorb a great deal of energy. But how do you optimize these properties to make a bulletproof vest?
Researchers tested how nanotubes of different sizes responded to impacts. In place of bullets, they used tiny, super-hard diamonds. Ironically, diamonds are just another arrangement of carbon atoms. Larger nanotubes worked best at deflecting the diamond projectiles. The nanotubes also quickly snapped back into position to deflect a second bullet that might hit the same spot. The study, published in the journal Nanotechnology, paves the way for a super-thin bulletproof vest of the future
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5 Comments
Add CommentThe article assumes a nano-bullet hitting a nanotube acting in bending with end supports. It is hard to visualize how this is related to a macro-bullet hitting some form of macroscopic array of nanotubes connected together in some unspecified manner. While it is an idealization, it is not necessarily a useful one, and the widespread attention in the press probably reflects the inability of the media to understand the significance and insignificance of published computer analysis papers. Then, too, a good many analysts can't appreciate this difference either.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's a good news to polices who are quite in need of this bulletproof.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou still have the damage to the material behind (your body perhaps) the material.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisActually I wear an old-tech Kevlar bullet-resistant vest every day at work. If you are shot in the chest with a high velocity rifle bullet such as a .308 weighing 170 grains and moving at 2750 fps, the bullet is coming through. Many vest designs incorporate a solid plate over the heart which on my earlier vests was steel, but soon will be a ceramic. These stop penetration better but because they sometimes fracture violent deformation of the vest can still kill by simply bruising the heart, which most frequently ruptures the aortic artery.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFurther, a major factor with vests has to be comfort. For both military and police the reality is that you are limited in hot weather by being inside what is essentially an efficient winter coat.
Commenting on the comfort issue - nanotubes are also super efficient heat conductors - though I don't know how well this meshes with making bullet-resistant, lightweight fabric.
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