Scientists at Harvard University have developed a new “super material” that is not only as impact-resistant as Kevlar, but can also withstand extreme high and low temperatures and has 20 times the barrier properties of its alternatives.
People have already had a deeper understanding of the properties of Kevlar, especially in bulletproof vests etc. on the application of protective equipment. But for firefighting, military, and aerospace practitioners, the new materials developed by Harvard take into account excellent thermal insulation effects.
It is reported that in order to create this new material with impact resistance comparable to Kevlar but with super thermal insulation properties, the research team developed a long, strong and porous New nanofibers to improve heat dissipation and reduce diffusion.
Traditional fibers
Kevlar and special Twaron is a famously tough material whose protective properties come from their molecular structure. For a mechanical strike, such as a bulletproof vest, the material exhibits a highly ordered structure, allowing it to redistribute force.
Senior author Kit Parker said in a statement, During combat in Afghanistan, I witnessed firsthand how body armor saved lives and realized the limitations that heavy body armor placed on a soldier’s ability to move. Soldiers on the battlefield need to constantly move, shoot and communicate. If any one of these is restricted, it will reduce the soldier’s survivability and even lead to mission failure.
New ‘supermaterials’
Designing devices to protect limbs from the extreme temperatures and deadly projectiles that accompany explosions has typically been difficult due to the material’s fundamental properties . Materials that are strong enough to withstand ballistic threats cannot withstand extreme temperatures, and vice versa. Most of today’s protective gear is made up of multiple layers of different materials, resulting in bulky and heavy equipment that, if worn on the arms and legs, would severely limit a soldier’s ability to move.
So the team combined the two types of materials into one.
Insulation materials have a more porous structure that minimizes the amount of heat that passes through. The team synthesized a para-aramid fiberboard by using an immersed rotary jet spinning platform (iRJS). It orients the aramid fibers along the mechanical load direction of the aerogel. Oriented para-aramid fibers can effectively cope with mechanical stress, while the porous network structure can limit thermal diffusion without compromising structural function.
▲ Working diagram
▲ Thermal demonstration
Fragmentation testing showed that the ballistic properties of this nonwoven pAFS were comparable to commercial ballistic textiles. In addition, the thermal conductivity of pAFS is very low, and its thermal insulation performance is improved 20 times compared with commercially available para-aromatic polyamide.
One of the researchers, Grant M. Gonzalez, explained:
Through this With this improvement, we have pushed the boundaries of what is possible and are moving in new directions with new multifunctional materials.
Looking to the future, new “super materials” are expected to provide individuals, including firefighters, soldiers, and astronauts, with better protection solutions in extreme environments. </p
