New material could mean lightweight armor, protective coatings

Science Daily  July 19, 2021
An international team of researchers (USA – MIT, Caltech, Switzerland) has fabricated
nanoarchitectured materials, that absorb the impact of microscopic projectiles accelerated to supersonic speeds. According to their calculations the new material absorbs impacts more efficiently than steel, Kevlar, aluminum, and other impact-resistant materials of comparable weight. Tests revealed that consistent mechanisms such as compaction cratering and microparticle capture enable this superior response. They introduced predictive tools for crater formation in these materials using dimensional analysis. These results substantially uncover the dynamic regime over which nanoarchitecture enables the design of ultralightweight, impact-resistant materials that could open the way to design principles for lightweight armor, protective coatings, and blast-resistant shields for sensitive electronics…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE 

… a new material that may lead to lightweight armor, protective coatings, blast shields, and other impact-resistant structures. Credit: MIT