Army Scientists, Engineers develop Liquid Body Armor

[rgwalt]

You can make a shear thickening fluid from materials found in your kitchen, if you want to try it out. Get some corn starch, and mix it with water. You are look for something about the thickness and consistency of vegetable oil. You should be able to lightly stir it, but as you apply more force, it will thicken up and go solid.

What the army has developed is essentially the same thing, but instead they are using a different medium and different types of particles in their suspension. Tuning the properties they want is not an easy problem. The fluid mechanics equations are very complicated.

Ryan

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Raj
making our soldiers more efficient killers. gotta love this country.

In this country, even the lives of our soldiers are worth something - so we invest in defense - where as in other countries they just strap dynamite to their chest or aim their jets into our ships or buildings.

THAT is what makes this country great.

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: rgwalt
You can make a shear thickening fluid from materials found in your kitchen, if you want to try it out. Get some corn starch, and mix it with water. You are look for something about the thickness and consistency of vegetable oil. You should be able to lightly stir it, but as you apply more force, it will thicken up and go solid. What the army has developed is essentially the same thing, but instead they are using a different medium and different types of particles in their suspension. Tuning the properties they want is not an easy problem. The fluid mechanics equations are very complicated. Ryan

This is going to be great in stoping bullets and even explosives - but what about a knife fight? Plunging a knife through this material should be easy - so we'll never be able to get rid of the traditional armor - unless we combine it with some kind of lightwait chainmail.

Now that would be cool - a comfortable cloth-like temperature regulating layer, a carbon-fiber hex-chainmail layer, a liquid body armor layer, and a final water/chemical/flame resistant layer. No more the weight of a leather jack but much more flexible...

 

[Bassyhead]

sounds pretty cool!

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: flashbacck

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Sounsd like the armor on DUNE. If you went at it fast it wouldn't let you in, but slowly you could.

That wasn't armor, that was a force field.

"personal shield"

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: rgwalt
You can make a shear thickening fluid from materials found in your kitchen, if you want to try it out. Get some corn starch, and mix it with water. You are look for something about the thickness and consistency of vegetable oil. You should be able to lightly stir it, but as you apply more force, it will thicken up and go solid. What the army has developed is essentially the same thing, but instead they are using a different medium and different types of particles in their suspension. Tuning the properties they want is not an easy problem. The fluid mechanics equations are very complicated. Ryan

This is going to be great in stoping bullets and even explosives - but what about a knife fight?  Plunging a knife through this material should be easy - so we'll never be able to get rid of the traditional armor - unless we combine it with some kind of lightwait chainmail.

Now that would be cool - a comfortable cloth-like temperature regulating layer, a carbon-fiber hex-chainmail layer, a liquid body armor layer, and a final water/chemical/flame resistant layer.  No more the weight of a leather jack but much more flexible...

Carbon fiber is cut very easily. It excels in tensile strength, and compressive/flexural strength once in composite form...

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: rgwalt You can make a shear thickening fluid from materials found in your kitchen, if you want to try it out. Get some corn starch, and mix it with water. You are look for something about the thickness and consistency of vegetable oil. You should be able to lightly stir it, but as you apply more force, it will thicken up and go solid. What the army has developed is essentially the same thing, but instead they are using a different medium and different types of particles in their suspension. Tuning the properties they want is not an easy problem. The fluid mechanics equations are very complicated. Ryan

This is going to be great in stoping bullets and even explosives - but what about a knife fight? Plunging a knife through this material should be easy - so we'll never be able to get rid of the traditional armor - unless we combine it with some kind of lightwait chainmail. Now that would be cool - a comfortable cloth-like temperature regulating layer, a carbon-fiber hex-chainmail layer, a liquid body armor layer, and a final water/chemical/flame resistant layer. No more the weight of a leather jack but much more flexible...

Carbon fiber is cut very easily. It excels in tensile strength, and compressive/flexural strength once in composite form...

Maybe that's what I'm thinking of, carbon composite. All I know is that there is a carbon material that is basically weaved and is strong as steal but very light.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

This is going to be great in stoping bullets and even explosives - but what about a knife fight?  Plunging a knife through this material should be easy - so we'll never be able to get rid of the traditional armor - unless we combine it with some kind of lightwait chainmail.

I'm no expert on this stuff, but the article clearly says:

"Prison guards and police officers could also benefit from this technology," said Wetzel. "Liquid armor is much more stab resistant than conventional body armor. This capability is especially important for prison guards, who are most often attacked with handmade sharp weapons."

 

[LordMorpheus]

Very cool. The thing about iraq is that with the bulletproof vests, more wounded soldiers live, but they are out an arm or a leg. With this stuff, you can protect the entire soldier's body! He could step on a freaking landmine and break a few bones only! This is great stuff!

 

[aircooled]

next gen condoms

 

[ROTC1983]

Wow, this stuff sounds awesome...

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Does that mean a knife can penetrate it? Since a knife is going slow, wouldn't if be able to pierce the armor?

 

[pcmodem]

That is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay cool.



TGIF!
-PCM

 

[CanOWorms]

Sagalore:
Maybe that's what I'm thinking of, carbon composite. All I know is that there is a carbon material that is basically weaved and is strong as steal but very light.

That's carbon nanotubes, which currently cost about $300/gram

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
Does that mean a knife can penetrate it? Since a knife is going slow, wouldn't if be able to pierce the armor?

Ahem . . . I'm no expert on this stuff, but the article clearly says:

"Prison guards and police officers could also benefit from this technology," said Wetzel. "Liquid armor is much more stab resistant than conventional body armor. This capability is especially important for prison guards, who are most often attacked with handmade sharp weapons."

 

[BatmanNate]

Sounds a little like cornstarch. You can push your finger through easily if you do it slow, but try it fast, and it is stiffer. Reminds me of the body shields in Dune also.

 

[BatmanNate]

Either way it is good to see R & D dollars being spent to protect our soldiers, this is a good idea from both a humanitarian standpoint (obviously) but also it will pay off in the army if it cuts down casualties and injuries, troops with more experience will be kept around longer increasing defense efficiency as well as lowering recruitment costs. Makes a smaller fighting force more effective. Probably makes people feel better about joining the armed forces as well. Now if only we could learn when it is necessary to use this armed force and when it is not, we'd be in a good position.

 

[jimmygates]

Looks good. Can't wait til they produce it so I can get me one. Mine is light but hot as hell in the summer.



-Jimbo

 

[midnightrat]

Wow, this is a seriously cool invention. I wonder if it has anything to do with transforming the heat from the bullet impact to harden the liquid armor?

Also what happens to the armor afterwards? Does it stay in the ridgid form or does is return to it's liquid state? If it stays ridgid that could be difficult for the soldier who gets hit in the leg or arm since the armor would stiffen up and restict movement.

I can see it now, someone carrying a load of liquid armor shirts or pants nicely folded tripping and the sudden impact of him/her landing on the stack of clothing triggers the armor to go ridgid.

 

[Dissipate]

Interesting. I wonder if it could stop a .50 caliber machine gun round.

 

[abracadabra1]

Originally posted by: Quixfire
Very Cool

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Don_Vito

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
Does that mean a knife can penetrate it? Since a knife is going slow, wouldn't if be able to pierce the armor?

Ahem . . . I'm no expert on this stuff, but the article clearly says:

"Prison guards and police officers could also benefit from this technology," said Wetzel. "Liquid armor is much more stab resistant than conventional body armor. This capability is especially important for prison guards, who are most often attacked with handmade sharp weapons."

Oh, heh, sorry. Like a regular ATOTer, I didn't read the whole thing.

 

[JediJeb]

Originally posted by: Dissipate
Interesting. I wonder if it could stop a .50 caliber machine gun round.

I dont know but even if it did, Man what a kick that would give.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

Where's my walking tank?

 

[FacelessNobody]

Now this is sweet stuff. Still, when wearing armor, taking just a pistol round is like having a power-lifter hit you with a sledgehammer. I suppose the next step is looking at methods of energy dispersal. That, and asking the bad guys not to aim for the face.