Today’s generation of body-armour systems can provide protection at various levels designed to defeat most common low- and medium-energy handgun rounds. However, currently the highest-threat-level ballistic needs in the market are fulfilled by special, high performance ceramics that tend to be very costly, fragile for standard handling, extremely heavy and very difficult to shape to the requirements of an ergonomic design.
One of the widely used armor material is Kevlar that certainly represents a technological revolution not only for armour materials, but for many other important applications, from brake lining to space vehicles, including boats, parachutes, building materials, etc. However, one very important limitation of Kevlar, however, is its susceptibility to degradation due to UV exposure, environmental humidity and the chemicals contained in perspiration (sweat), the conditions that cannot be avoided during in-field operations. The challenge is, thus, too great for the standard technology of ballistic materials, as it can be corroborated by the fact that the leading industries in the field have spent years and enormous amounts of money to produce an environmentally stable garment to no avail.
Nanomaterials (NMs) have gained prominence in technological advancements due to their tunable physical, chemical and biological properties with enhanced performance over their bulk counterparts. NMs are categorized depending on their size, composition, shape, and origin.
Recently trend is to utilize nanofibre-reinforced systems that are expected to provide very attractive weight/protection relationships not only for personal equipment, but also for belly plates for motor vehicles and even aircrafts , exposed to the impacts caused by dust, birds and other objects, not necessarily by combat conditions, offering an interesting potential market for novel ballistic materials.
From the military point of view and according to a recent report, nanotechnology offers two important advantages: first, the potential to achieve high degrees of miniaturization, which will be reflected in the weight of the equipment and second, the possibility of finding unexpected effects at the nanoscale, which not only will represent a strategic advantage over the enemy, but will also include a possibility of concealing the technology behind a given effect.
Researchers in United States have found that Nano Aluminium Composite a superior material for tough and lightweight structural applications. This nano-treated aluminium can be an extremely efficient substitute for making aluminium hulls, aluminium superstructures and various other ship structures where light weight and high strength are highly desirable.
Researchers from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Arizona State University designed a super strong alloy of copper and tantalum that can withstand extreme impact and temperature. It’s likely the closest material on earth to vibranium, a rare, fictitious metallic substance found in Marvel’s Wakanda and used in Captain America’s shield.
IDST Monthly Access Membership Required
You must be a IDST Monthly Access member to access this content.