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Graphene Body Armor and Shielding



Since it was first discovered in 2003, research into the miracle material known as graphene has expanded rapidly. Composed purely of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal configurations one atom thick, the material is known for its ability to conduct heat and electricity with great efficiency. Because of this, researchers have been exploring the possibility of using it in the fields of electronics, energy storage, photovoltaic cells, biological engineering and even medical treatment.To get more news about bullet proof vests, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

Graphene Uses For Body Armor
However, little research had been done into the materials ability to absorb impacts. If there’s one thing graphene is known for, other than its conductivity, it is its sheer strength. Despite its low weight, the material is remarkably strong and durable, even more so than steel or Kevlar. Little wonder then why researchers are considering using it to create new forms of body armor.

Until recently, research into graphene’s has focused on its tensile strength - how much stress it can withstand when being pulled taught. With 200 times the strength of steel, it is being consideredfor the construction of concepts like the space elevator. But almost as impressive is the fact that it can dissipate 10 times the amount of kinetic energy as steel, which means it is also very strong in the face of direct assault.

This research into the potential of graphene for use as body-armor comes to us from Rice University, Houston, with additional support being provided by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Welch Foundation - a Texas-based non-profit organization dedicated to the funding of chemistry research.At Rice, materials scientist Edwin Thomas and assistant professor Jae-Hwang Lee of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, created an impact test using small sheets of graphene, and subjected them to a process known as the laser-induced projectile impact test (LIPIT).

Graphene Technology For Body Armor
This process, which was pioneered by Rice labs, works by driving small spheres away from the opposite side of an absorbing gold surface at great speed. Using this laser-driven process, they were able to send “microbullets” against graphene sheets at speeds of up 3 km (1.9 miles) per second, which is much faster than the velocity of bullets being fired from a AK-47 assault rifle.

For the sake of the test, the research team lined up multilayer graphene sheets that were derived from bulk graphite – ranging from 10 to 100 nanometers in thickness. They then used a high-speed camera to capture images of the projectiles before and after they impacted the sheets hits, ans then finished by using microscopic images to assess the damage caused.

In each case, the microbullets punctured the graphene, but did not leave a clean, tidy hole. Instead, they noted the presence of fracture patterns around each point of impact, indicating that the graphene stretched before breaking. From their observations, they were able to calculate the amount of energy absorbed by the material and the rate at which it was able to dissipate it.