The bulletproof super material that's paper-thin

A new polymer composite can absorb the impact from high-velocity projectiles and instantly repair itself

Bullet hole
(Image credit: ThinkStock/iStockphoto)

If researchers from Rice University and MIT have their way, the super soldier of the future will be outfitted in razor-thin armor that's impervious to bullets. The team of mechanical engineers and materials scientists have developed a special ballistics material that's just 20 nanometers thick (a water molecule is just one-nanometer wide) and can stop a deadly projectile in its tracks.

The material, a structured polymer composite made of alternating rubbery and glassy layers, can absorb the kinetic energy from high impact assaults with startling efficiency. During tests, researchers blasted it with tiny glass beads that simulated the impact from a 9-millimeter bullet. The ultra-thin layers didn't just halt a projectile in its path, but sealed up around the embedded bead.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up