New kind of blast proof fabric

[monkeyboy]

Just read this article:
http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/blast_proof-fabric-defies-belief/zetix-blast+proof-fabric-resists-multiple-car-bombs-makes-our-heads-explode-330343.php

Sounds like some pretty revolutionary stuff.

Never heard of helical-auxetics, either.

I don't know if this should be a new topic or not, if not, feel free to move it...

[iHME]

Interesting stuff. I can already think the possibilities of this material, think about buying a few square meters of that stuff and lining your car with it.

It wouldn't stop a rifle but the "soft" pistol ammunition used by law enforcement could be stopped. And the cheap price could bring down the price of soft bullet-resistant vests, to a more affordable level. Of course IF the material preforms as well in large amounts of force directed into a small area as a large amount of energy directed into a large area. If thats the case I could find my self buying a stock of it "just to make sure", as it would be probably banned by politicians immediately after some robbers would have made improvised bodyarmor from it, giving them an "unfair" edge over normal police officers, how sad... :D

Interesting material, very interesting material, I have to say.

[LibertyOrDeath]

Technically it's not an improvised weapon, but it IS an interesting topic. And if such fabric is ever made available to us "serfs," then it could prove useful for a thing or two.

The company's website has more information:

http://www.auxetix.com/defence.htm

As described there, this fabric is designed to let the blast itself pass through while capturing the shrapnel. So it's really not "blast proof," and you wouldn't want to be close to a blast even if this fabric was between it and you, even if it wasn't penetrated by shrapnel. The blast wave could enter your bodily orifices and do damage.

There is, however, a paragraph at the above link that speculates on the possibility of blast reduction:

In an alternative implementation, it is intended that the auxetic property of these yarns is exploited to create a laminated textile which responds to the onset of a blast front by opening up arrays of pores in each layer. These let the blast pass through from one layer to the next, successively reducing the energy it carries. The amount of blast reduction that such a textile could achieve is yet to be quantified, however, any reduction would bring significant benefits as the initial shock-wave and following air-blast caused by an explosion is responsible for certain primary injuries such as ear drum rupture and lung collapse, and many tertiary injuries (occupants being bodily thrown against objects).

I hope such blast reduction isn't feasible and that this material falls short of "revolutionary" (which seems to be the case at this point). In this day and age, "defense" is generally a euphemism for "aggression against other countries" or "state domination of the domestic population." I'm particularly concerned about the latter.

Oh well...a shaped charge projectile will make mincemeat out of this fabric anyway. Also, I doubt this material would work well against rifles (for the same reasons that apply to Kevlar).

[Demolition Man]

from the same site, more recently

http://gizmodo.com/371357/slash+proof-armored-tee-is-lightweight-machine-washable

Maybe wear layers, as it's fashionable? Heh. Now all we need is actually stab proof, besides wearing Class IV armor

[Demolition Man]

Apparently, Gizmodo is getting a rash of bullet/weapon proof material in recently. Must be the economy.

http://gizmodo.com/375006/defender-hoodie-look-good-avoid-bullets

This actually gives me my own idea for those ebay'd Class IIA vests you can get cheap. Of course, you can always get yourself a kevlar suit, straight from China, but you have to add your own plate pockets, they don't come included.

[Charles Owlen Picket]

Stab proofing is MUCH more difficult to accomplish! Ask anyone who designs this stuff and they'll tell you that "stab proof" is almost impossible. Correctional vests are VERY expensive and they have a limit (which is very difficult to quantify). The thin "needle bayonet" is a damn difficult thing to defeat. An ice-pick type device almost impossible with fabric alone.

Stab resistant is easy and most mil-spec flack armor is tough to stab; especially with a wide or thick instrument. The most difficult thing to work against is the thin stabbing weapon driven by the weight of the wielder.