Carbon nanotubes could make t-shirts bullet proof

Nanowerk ^ | 11/22/06 | Michael Berger

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

This would be totally unnecessary if we had safer bullets.

I'm Jocelyn Elders and I approved this message.

[353FMG]

Bulletproof underwear, that's the future.

[Ajnin]

These type inventions concern me because of their potential to make the 2nd amendment obsolete. Just wait and see what happens when the politicaians think they can screw with the public with no consequences.

[AntiGuv]

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[Andy from Beaverton]

[bnelson44]

So if I understand this correctly, the bullet would push the fabric into the body causing all kinds of damage, but the fabric won't break?

What am I getting wrong here?

[LibWhacker]

Could be wrong, but I'm assuming the nanotubes spread out the energy of the impact over the whole shirt.

[NearlyNormal]

My guess is that a really bad bruise is usually going to be better than a perforation and a large exit wound.

[sionnsar]

Bulletproof underwear, that's the future.

This guy could have used such.

[roaddog727]

"Could be wrong, but I'm assuming the nanotubes spread out the energy of the impact over the whole shirt."

I don't think so. As such, even if it could prevent a slug from getting through the material, it would create some massive trauma at the point of impact and hurt like all get out. OTO, you would likely live to fight another day.

[FastCoyote]

This is going right into the novel I'm writing. HooYah

[GSlob]

Well, the next logical step would be exotic bullets [say, with no spin - aerodynamic stabilization with fins and long boattail, but with a small shaped charge. Impact velocity will be 8000m/sec or better]. Similar game was played by Krupp ages ago. Better armor plate - and then better artillery shell, and then still better armor plate, and again, still better shell... The Kaiser saw it right through, but had to pay from both ends anyway.

[BluH2o]

So if I understand this correctly, the bullet would push the fabric into the body causing all kinds of damage, but the fabric won't break?

Precisely ... the fabric may not allow the projectile to penetrate ... but the material is so thin it will allow the projectile to push the fabric well into the body tissue.

[org.whodat]

I'm Jocelyn Elders and I approved this message.

Hi, Jocelyn, still using cornhuskers on your hands?

Really love a story that has might, and could, and maybe. Give the guy a few million and he might, could, may have something.

[Spktyr]

As far as I know, we still can't make transparent objects out of this stuff. So, as we do in games like Halo when the enemy has body armor that you can't get through, go for faceplates.

[technomage]

Just wait and see what happens when the politicaians politicians think they can screw with the public with no consequences.

Only if they wear this underwear over their head and face.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Forgive the source, I had to get this from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk

Mongols used silk as part of the under-armor garments. Silk is so tough that it was actually used as very light armor, although its special use (the big secret) was to stop arrow penetration into the body. The silk would stop an arrow from penetrating far enough into the body to be lethal; and the arrow could then be pulled out of the wound by tugging on the unbroken silk. The added advantage to this is that there would be no contact between the arrowhead and the interior of the body; thus it reduces the incidence of infected wounds.

There would be perforation with this nanotube armor, but a great deal less trauma than a through and through wound channel.

[knarf]

Cool !

I have all the other pieces to my outfit ... cape, tights, belted speedo, boots ...

[Jeff Gordon]

Bulletproof underwear, that's the future.

Being shot in the groin would still be one hell of kick in the balls. All that bullet's energy has to go somewhere. If this happened to you, you might wish you were dead for awhile.