New Material: Light Armor Material Superior To Kevlar Fiber

 

The new armor is based on tiny columns of carbon that are only one atom thick. These, called carbon nanotubes, have shown promise as the next generation of materials, from transistor research to the treatment of vision loss to bomb detection devices.

In adjusting carbon nanotubes for armor, the authors of the new study used multiwalled versions of carbon nanotubes and combined them with Kevlar nanofibers. The idea is based on early research - demonstrating the potential of these materials in absorbing impact to see if they can be molded into a more practical armor solution.

Ramatha San thevamaran, who led the study, said: "Nanofiber materials are very attractive for protective applications because of their superior strength, toughness and stiffness compared to macro scale fibers. Carbon nanotube mats have shown the best energy absorption so far, and we want to see if we can further improve their performance."

To do this, scientists tinkered with chemistry until they found the recipe for success. They synthesized Kevlar fibers and incorporated a small amount of them into a "cushion" of carbon nanotubes in the right proportion, which allowed hydrogen bonding between the fibers. The result of these bonds is a huge leap in performance.

Thevamaran said: "Hydrogen bonding is a dynamic bond, which means that it can be continuously broken and reconstituted, which allows it to dissipate a lot of energy through this dynamic process. In addition, hydrogen bonds provide more hardness for this interaction, thus strengthening the strength and hardness of nanofiber mats. When we modify the interface interaction in our mat by adding Kevlar fibers, We can achieve nearly 100% improvement in energy dissipation at some supersonic impact velocities. "

The team tested the material using a pellet impact test system. It is reported that the system uses a laser to launch pellets at different speeds to test the material samples.  

According to thevamaran: "Our system is designed so that we can actually pick out a bullet under a microscope and fire at the target in a very controlled way, from 100 meters per second to more than 1 kilometer per second. This allows us to experiment on a time scale, and we can observe the reaction of materials when hydrogen bond interactions occur. ”

Experiments show that this new material can protect people from high-speed impact better than Kevlar fabric and steel plate. This provides the basis for high-performance, ultra light armor materials, not just in bulletproof vests. According to the researchers, the material may allow spacecraft to absorb the impact of high-speed space debris.

 

"Our nanofiber mats are far more protective than other material systems and are lighter in weight," says thevamaran