Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday December 26 2017, @10:23AM   Printer-friendly
from the any-volunteers-for-testing? dept.

Banned for civilian use before it even exists:

https://sciencealert.com/graphene-paired-sheets-diamene-deformation-diamond-property

One day armed forces might protect themselves with layers of a material called diamene; dual layers of graphene that respond to a force by deforming into an impenetrable diamond plate.

[...] Researchers from the Advanced Science Research Centre at the City University of New York [have] layered pairs of graphene sheets to create a material that turns into a three-dimensional diamond-like structure when smashed with enough force.

Sudden changes to the conductivity of the sheets when dented could present some interesting new electronic properties.

But it's the possible application as lightweight protection where it really gets interesting.

"This is the thinnest film with the stiffness and hardness of diamond ever created," says lead researcher, physicist Elisa Riedo.

"Previously, when we tested graphite or a single atomic layer of graphene, we would apply pressure and feel a very soft film. But when the graphite film was exactly two-layers thick, all of a sudden we realised that the material under pressure was becoming extremely hard and as stiff, or stiffer, than bulk diamond."


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 26 2017, @12:14PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 26 2017, @12:14PM (#614266)

    Are usually an additional measure on top of kevlar to help reduce ballistic injuries.

    If this stuff really works as well as they claim, then multiple paired layers of it sandwiched between other materials like ceramics or steel, might make an excellent lightweight composite armor for tanks, undercarriage armor for light armored trucks, etc.

    The possibilities with this are nearly endless. Imagine aircraft that could now withstand anti-aircraft/ballistic arms fire for a fraction of the weight?

  • (Score: 2) by davester666 on Wednesday December 27 2017, @08:38AM

    by davester666 (155) on Wednesday December 27 2017, @08:38AM (#614655)

    Right, you don't just want your armor to prevent the bullet from passing through. You also want the energy the bullet has to be applied over as large an area of your body as possible.