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Scientists Turn T-Shirts Into Body Armor
separsons writes "Scientists at the University of South Carolina recently transformed ordinary T-shirts into bulletproof armor. By splicing cotton with boron, the third hardest material on the planet, scientists created a shirt that was super elastic but also strong enough to deflect bullets. Xiaodong Li, lead researcher on the project, says the same tech may eventually be used to create lightweight, fuel-efficient cars and aircrafts."
What happens if I'm wearing one of these tee-shirts when my nipples explode with delight?
...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
Brings my AC to 15!
It isn't going to help much if the bullet has enough force to make the t-shirt penetrate you. If we're talking a 2-inch stretch, then it'll make things less messy, but no less lethal.
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
My parents visited the University of South Carolina and all I got was this stupid t-shirt.
What one fool can do, another can. (Ancient Simian Proverb)
... Molten Boron!
sic transit gloria mundi
Molten Boron!
Yet TFA says nothing about this armor being bullet-proof, as this slashdot article clearly states.
Only that “We should be able to fabricate much tougher body armors using this new technique. It could even be used to produce lightweight, fuel-efficient cars and aircrafts.”
If it stops a 9mm shell, it'll stop the little barbed prongs that a taser shoots. But they might catch in the clothing anyway, so you might still get shocked. Unless this stuff is conductive enough to short it out, or insulating enough to protect you.
No, it doesn't work that way. A "bulletproof" vest is relatively easy to get through with a sharp blade - most bullet resistant materials will use lots of strong fibres to tangle the bullet up in on it's way through, whereas a sharp knife (or a pointed barb that's not spinning) will penetrate relatively easily.
Specialist Mac support for creative pros, Melbourne
No, it isn't
Elemental boron and borates are non-toxic to humans and animals (approximately similar to table salt). The LD50 (dose at which there is 50% mortality) for animals is about 6 g per kg of body weight. Substances with LD50 above 2 g are considered non-toxic.
Specialist Mac support for creative pros, Melbourne
...is aircraft.
Xiaodong Li, lead researcher on the project...
They still make bullets out of lead?
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
Is my wife's pot roast. If I can ever figure out how she converts an entire roast into carbon nanotubes we're gonna be rich!
If it stops a 9mm shell, it'll stop the little barbed prongs that a taser shoots. But they might catch in the clothing anyway, so you might still get shocked. Unless this stuff is conductive enough to short it out, or insulating enough to protect you.
No, it doesn't work that way. A "bulletproof" vest is relatively easy to get through with a sharp blade - most bullet resistant materials will use lots of strong fibres to tangle the bullet up in on it's way through, whereas a sharp knife (or a pointed barb that's not spinning) will penetrate relatively easily.
Ok, but in the future, just say "The slow blade penetrates the shield."
You can't take the sky from me...
http://www.gizmag.com/bullet-proof-polo-shirt/10187/
Any nethack player knows how important a piece of armor the t-shirt is.
Blessed scrolls of enchant armor for the win.
Colorless green Cthulhu waits dreaming furiously.
The Huns wore silk to protect themselves in battle. There were no bullets back then, just arrows and blades. While the arrows could still penetrate the flesh, they often did not cut through the silk which made it easier to remove the arrows and stem the bleeding. BTW, like tee-shirts, silk is imprintable -- "We're on the run, we're lotta fun, we are the Huns!"
As with my stain-resistant dockers, I want to know how many washes will this effect last for
Ugh the writers of the article (and, consequently, the slashdot user) wrote a badly worded description. I was surprised as I never heard of any particularly strong allotrope of boron. If you actually read the whole thing, it's boron nanowires that give the strength. Key word: nanowires. Researchers used boron, but there are plenty of different materials to make nanowires out of. And it is the particular properties resulting from reinforcing materials with nanowires that give the 'bulletproof' strength.
I think Linux isn't better than Windows hence in the slashdot realm I'm a troll
I REALLY hope the first shirt they make has the Superman logo on it. Not to be cliche or anything.
Bullet resistant soft armour works because of the strength of the individual fibre and how its woven. It also has to do with the friction coefficicent of each fiber. Generally, it's woven in a waffle or checkerboard pattern for each layer. There are lots of layers, too...20 or 30 is common. When a projectile strikes the fabric, the crossed fibers lock against each other (this is where the friction coefficient comes in. Two Kevlar fibers crossed at 90 degrees will not want to move). So, in theory, one layer could stop a low-energy bullet. However, it would still be fatal to the person wearing it because of the amount of energy transferred to them. So, by using multiple layers, that .38 or 9mm round's energy is spread out over perhaps 5 or 6 inches. It's still going to hurt like hell, but you'll live to tell the tale. Current NIJ spec for the backface deformation of a vest is something like 12" of clay, which translates to something like 4 or 5 inches of compression in a human. It's like getting hit with a baseball bat swung by a AAA player.
So why does bullet shape have little to do with it? Even a pointed bullet deforms on impact; the sharp point isn't going to get through more than a layer or two before it deforms flat. The threat rifle rounds offer is that there is just vastly more energy then a pistol round. All of these materials have a failing point, and even if the bullet was stopped, the amount of energy transferred to the wearer might be lethal anyway. That's why rifle-rated vests (something to stop a .223 or a 30-06) have trauma plates, which is a 1/4 inch (or thicker) ceramic plate. It's heavy, uncomfortable and unbendable, but it'll stop just about any reasonable threat.
Sure, we could come up with a list of unreasonable threats, but in reality most shootings are with lower energy handgun calibers (9mm/38spl/25acp/32acp), which a standard IIA vest will stop without breaking a sweat.
Chris Knight is my hero.