Need a substance

[RichardE]

That is very flexible, but also resistant to ripping/shredding/flame. Like a bullet or sharpnel or anything can hit , but will not penetrate.

 

[Matthias99]

Woven Kevlar/SPECTRA fiber? Not sure if they're flammable, though.

 

[alcoholbob]

Steel folded dozens of times? : )

Edit: Well, it's not THAT flexible, like cloth, but can flex quite a bit from the fulcrum point.

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: Matthias99
Woven Kevlar/SPECTRA fiber? Not sure if they're flammable, though.

http://www.dupont.com/kevlar/whatiskevlar.html

The Properties of KEVLAR®
KEVLAR® is one of the most important manmade organic fibers ever developed. Because of its unique combination of properties, KEVLAR® is used today in a wide variety of industrial applications. KEVLAR® para-aramid fiber possesses a remarkable combination of properties that has led to its adoption in a variety of end-uses since its commercial introduction in the early 1970's.

Fibers of KEVLAR® consist of long molecular chains produced from poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide. The chains are highly oriented with strong interchain bonding which result in a unique combination of properties.

General Features of KEVLAR® :

High Tensile Strength at Low Weight
Low Elongation to Break High Modulus (Structural Rigidity)
Low Electrical Conductivity
High Chemical Resistance
Low Thermal Shrinkage
High Toughness (Work-To-Break)
Excellent Dimensional Stability
High Cut Resistance
Flame Resistant, Self-Extinguishing

 

[CycloWizard]

A thick rubber panel? Hard to really say without more specifics. Kevlar is typically enclosed in a rigid polymer matrix, though the fiber itself is 'flexible'.

 

[Witling]

Chain mail? Or even better, mithral -- think Lord of the Rings here.

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: Witling
Chain mail? Or even better, mithral -- think Lord of the Rings here.

I think he is looking for a material that actually exists. And if you are going to be a dork at least spell Mithril correctly. Worst post ever..... thank youuuuuuuuuuuuu

 

[RichardE]

Hmm....it needs to be extremly felxible, thin and not tranfer instaneous heat, Ie, If I put a sensor on the other side, when a bursting flame/explosion is emited on one side, the sensor will not register any temperature difference. As well, it has to be tear proof, bullet proof, (high calibre as well) and sharpnel proof.

I am not sure if one exists, but want to know before I begin researching things.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: RichardE
Hmm....it needs to be extremly felxible, thin and not tranfer instaneous heat, Ie, If I put a sensor on the other side, when a bursting flame/explosion is emited on one side, the sensor will not register any temperature difference. As well, it has to be tear proof, bullet proof, (high calibre as well) and sharpnel proof.

I am not sure if one exists, but want to know before I begin researching things.

How thick can it be? How much can it weigh? I'm leaning towards a kevlar/rubber composite right now.

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: RichardE
Hmm....it needs to be extremly felxible, thin and not tranfer instaneous heat, Ie, If I put a sensor on the other side, when a bursting flame/explosion is emited on one side, the sensor will not register any temperature difference. As well, it has to be tear proof, bullet proof, (high calibre as well) and sharpnel proof.

I am not sure if one exists, but want to know before I begin researching things.

How thick can it be? How much can it weigh? I'm leaning towards a kevlar/rubber composite right now.

Hmm..that has potential...but rubber would keep heat in, though you could line the inside with a cooling mechanism I suppose.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: RichardE
Hmm..that has potential...but rubber would keep heat in, though you could line the inside with a cooling mechanism I suppose.

Well, you said you don't want to be able to feel heat through it. This is controlled by the same property that lets heat out - thermal conductivity. If you want to have your cake and eat it too, then you'd have to go with a more complex design, such as a rubber/kevlar outer composite with a convective/phase-change sublayer - like an air conditioning system underneath.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: RichardE
Hmm....it needs to be extremly felxible, thin and not tranfer instaneous heat, Ie, If I put a sensor on the other side, when a bursting flame/explosion is emited on one side, the sensor will not register any temperature difference. As well, it has to be tear proof, bullet proof, (high calibre as well) and sharpnel proof.

I am not sure if one exists, but want to know before I begin researching things.

How thick can it be? How much can it weigh? I'm leaning towards a kevlar/rubber composite right now.

That would be, essentially, a fireman's uniform with a kevlar/SPECTRA under- and/or overlay.

Something like that would provide reasonable protection against handguns or knives, and would be pretty fireproof, but probably would not do much against a high-powered rifle (or 'armor-piercing' ammunition like hollowpoint bullets) or a fragmentation grenade. It would also be fairly thick and heavy.

You're just not going to get reliable protection against threats like that in something that is 'extremely flexible', let alone thin and lightweight. Think about the sort of armor you see police bomb squads wearing -- even *that* isn't really 'shrapnel-proof'.

Even the best flexible body armor has to use steel or ceramic strike plates to provide any sort of reasonable protection against high-powered weapons. The other option would be to use multiple layers of armor (such that it would lose a lot of its flexibility anyway).

 

[RichardE]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: RichardE
Hmm..that has potential...but rubber would keep heat in, though you could line the inside with a cooling mechanism I suppose.

Well, you said you don't want to be able to feel heat through it. This is controlled by the same property that lets heat out - thermal conductivity. If you want to have your cake and eat it too, then you'd have to go with a more complex design, such as a rubber/kevlar outer composite with a convective/phase-change sublayer - like an air conditioning system underneath.

Yeah, that is what I was thinking It would drive up the contest extremly though. Is anyone aware of a product like this on the market already?

 

[Witchfire]

How about some sort of context as to what you would need to use it for? I mean, are we talking about a full body suit here, or 4 square inches of material to protect a tactile sensor? Also, how long would teh material be subject to extreme temps? A 3 second burst of extreme heat, or sustained high temps for extended periods of time?

That being said, some sort of aramid/kevlar composite backed with a flexible heat shielding (thinking reflective Mylar, like 'space blankets') might be the way to go.

Also, it's not hard to come up with a material that will not allow shrapnel or other projectiles to penetrate, but the transferrence of force (blunt force trauma) can still cause extensive damage. Without either a rigid structure of some kind to deflect or absourb the force of impact, that force has to be transferred somewhere.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: RichardE
That is very flexible, but also resistant to ripping/shredding/flame. Like a bullet or sharpnel or anything can hit , but will not penetrate.

A woven steel belt similar to those found in tires.