Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 9:03 am
Liquid body armor headed for EMS and law enforcement?
Scientists and engineers at defence security company, BAE systems, have created a custard-like liquid, which will give British troops greater protection and ease of movement on the battlefield.
The technology, dubbed ‘liquid armour’, has been designed to fit between sheets of strong material such as Kevlar and hardens when struck to help shield and protect soldiers.
Unlike ceramic-based armour plates used in current body armour systems to cover large areas of the torso, the technology is not heavy.
Bullet-proof jackets made from the liquid could be widely used in the Army within two years.
BAE spokesman Stewart Penney said: “The technology is best explained by the example of stirring water with a spoon.
“In water you feel little resistance to the spoon. Whereas with liquid armour you would feel significant resistance as the elements in the fluid lock together.
“The faster you stir, the harder it gets, so when a projectile impacts the material at speed, it hardens very quickly and absorbs the impact energy.”
“In addition to increasing the ballistic performance of combat body armour there is potential for developing a version that could be of interest to police forces and ambulance crews,” Penney added.
Read the full article on ManufacturingDigital.com.
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interesting product, how does it weigh in comparison to the parts it replaces and does normal or aggressive body movment and heat consideration affect the material, once energized by contact does it stay hard/rigid and is then no longer useable until it can be safely replaced?