New nanomaterials: can be used as bulletproof vests and self repair
According to reports, researchers from Rice University in the United States have stated that they are researching a new type of polyurethane nanomaterial that can not only block bullet fire but also self repair.
In the experiment, researchers shot small glass beads at this material, and the results showed that it can effectively resist the impact of the glass beads. " This will be a great bulletproof glass material. "said Ned Thomas, a member of the research team, on the website of Rice University.
In addition to scientists from Rice University, there is also a group of researchers from the Military Nanotechnology Research Institute under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in this research group. Their original purpose in conducting this study was to find a method to avoid deformation or destruction of raw materials. But the results of the research seem to have led them to discover a better, harder, and lighter bulletproof material that can be made into bulletproof vests for soldiers and police, as well as protective coatings for equipment such as aircraft and satellites, protecting them from the impact of small, faster objects.
Research team member Thomas introduced that when encountering high-speed impacts from small objects, this complex polyurethane nanomaterial will "melt" into a liquid, preventing small objects from advancing and blocking their impact entrance, completing self repair. There is no visible damage to this material with the naked eye, because the surface appears to be neither bent nor broken.
At present, researchers have managed to obtain the cross-sectional structure of this material to observe the depth of bullet penetration and will determine the thickness of future bulletproof materials based on this depth.
Thomas said, "The cross-section shows the penetration process of bullets, which will help us understand what nanoscale structure makes this material a high-performance, low-weight bulletproof material.
