Gel That Stop's Bullets

This is from back in February, so it may be posted on ATS already, I did a few searches and came up with nothing so here we go.

The gel, called d3O locks instantly into a solidified form when it is hit at high impact. "When moved slowly, the molecules will slip past each other, but in a high-energy impact they will snag and lock together, becoming solid," said Richard Palmer, who invented the gel. "In doing so they absorb energy."

The d3O gel has already expanded into a range of sporting goods and is found in ski gloves, shin guards, ballet shoe pointes and horse-riding equipment. The substance relies on "intelligent molecules" that "shock lock" together to absorb energy and create a solid pad. Once the pressure has gone they return to their normal flexible state.

The gel is stitched into clothing or equipment that is supple until it stiffens into a protective barrier on impact.

Telegraph

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/4e7c704f986d.jpg[/atsimg]

Amazing stuff this gel, now its already available to civilians (instead of just military), which is great, I imagine this stuff could be very handy for people into more extreme sports.

Personally I want a pair of the lined gloves for when I go snow machining, if you've ever had a pine tree limb, whip your knuckles at 50mph you would understand my desire

[edit on 7/12/2009 by Alaskan Man]

Yes awesome new material. It is a dilatant or shear thickening fluid. Not sure if they use silica like the military experiment or not. Military is using nanoparticles of silica suspended in ethylene glycol. I believe they mix it with ethanol then soak kevlar sheets in it, the ethanol dries out leaving the STF impregnated in the material. As far as I know still experimental body armor.

Dilantants aren't really new. Cornstarch and water does the same thing, but these new ones are much more useful.

S&F

I did not know about that!

Excelent!

I will be waiting for it to come round!

wow!

i had not heard of this either. just off the top of my head i can think of 20 or so applications that would be AWESOME!

cheers,
AA

S+F

reply to post by anonamousantichrist


Does make you head spin about bussiness opportunities ! Doesn't it?

reply to post by Alaskan Man


Excellent find Alaskan Man. I wonder how much this gel costs?

reply to post by RussianScientists


Should be inexpensive!

Its already public so feasibility is a given. That mean cost effective. MHO

I would smother myself in this and run into a gunfight.
not a one liner.

They can make a similar type gel using microscopic metal beads and passing a current through it to make it rigid. Not as effective for sudden impacts etc because you have to charge the gel up would have uses when you want to control when a material becomes rigid.

For those not familiar with physics; while the material can become rigid, and thus take impact the energy will still have to be dispersed somehow. Thus just soaking your t-shirt in this might offer some protection but the energy is still going to get passed through to your body and you will still get hurt. Still will need several layers of protection, just now won't need as many. Huge step forward in protective gear.

Hard to find and very expensive. If you're doing action sports it's probably worth it. I wish I had protection like this when I was young, I wouldn't be limping around so much now.

I remember seeing this new material on a tennis commercial, here's the link: www.youtube.com...

This new futuristic material, d3o that is, is used partly in the new brand of racquets made by Head. even though this new material is inticing, I still use a Wilson.

Originally posted by Monsterenergy791
I remember seeing this new material on a tennis commercial, here's the link: www.youtube.com...

This new futuristic material, d3o that is, is used partly in the new brand of racquets made by Head. even though this new material is inticing, I still use a Wilson.

that's cool, i wonder if they will make a hockey stick that somehow apply's to.

Here is a demo of it inside a shirt and ski hat.




It reminds me of non-newtonian fluid. I remember mythbusters tried making a bullet proof vest with it.