Polyethylene Bulletproof Vests Better Than Kevlar

teflonscout writes "When I think of bulletproof vests, the first word that comes to mind is Kevlar. Wired is running a story on Dynema SB61, a bulletproof material that is made of polyethylene. It is a higher grade of the plastic found in Tupperware. The story also mentions the recall of Second Chance bulletproof vests that were made from Zylon, a material that degraded slowly when exposed to moisture. At least one police officer was injured when a bullet penetrated his Zylon vest. Polyethylene is impervious to moisture. The first vests made from this new material are 5mm thick and can stop a 9mm bullet traveling at 1777 feet per second, which is slightly better than other top of the line vests."

Comments

Re:"New Material for Thinner, Lighter Body Armor"

[bkr1_2k]

Because if you carry less weight in body armor, you carry more weight in ammunition, med supplies, whatever. The protection they have today is generally sufficient for small arms rounds, so they don't usually need more protection. Reducing the weight of current equipment, however, goes a long way toward making your troops more mobile, responsive, and better prepared to face an enemy. Not to mention, it makes them feel better to not lift a 35 pound vest over their head.

I've worn the modern vests, and while they aren't nearly as bad as they were 10 years ago, they still aren't good. If I could get the same protection from something even a quarter less weight, I'd make the switch without a second thought. That two or three extra pounds can mean the difference of being able to march my ass another couple of kilometers to safety or have a few extra rounds of ammunition when I really need it. That's a huge mental advantage, and despite all we say about war, it's the mental aspects (on the soldier) that make it difficult in the long run.