Polyurethane Might be the Key to Next-Gen Body Armor

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A cool new development in bullet stopping tech happening at Rice University.  This from the school's web site:

A Rice University lab, in collaboration with researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and its Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, decided to find out by creating the nanoscale target materials, the microscale ammo and even the method for firing them.

Ned Thomas, dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice and a materials scientist, holds a polyurethane disk with the bullets it stopped and sealed inside. Thomas is leading an investigation into the characteristics of such materials at the nanoscale.

In the process, they gathered a surprising amount of information about how materials called block copolymers dissipate the strain of sudden impact.


This video explains more:

Long time DT readers will remember the "Dragonskin" issue a couple of years ago.  This polymer tech could render that discussion moot and be a big game changer in the world of personal protection.

(Gouge: Mike Archer)

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