Chemists from the research labs, the U.S. Navy has developed and patented transparent termoelastoplastov armor that weighs little compared to the majority of bulletproof glass, but also has a higher ballistic performance, reports Popular Mechanics.
The thermoplastic elastomer is a soft rubber touch, the polymers that turn into a solid material by physical methods, not chemical process. Accordingly, the solidification in this case, it is reversible, and the damaged surface of the armor can be repaired even in field conditions.
“If you heat the material to the point of softening, that is, to a temperature of about 100 degrees Celsius, the small crystallites begin to melt, and cracks and various damages will disappear under the action of diffusion,” says Dr. Mike Roland. — “This can be achieved by using an ordinary hot plate, which turns the surface in a smooth sheet with minimal damage to integrity.”
Scientists of the laboratory have already used polymer materials as a coating to achieve the resistance of solid materials. Now, with the help of thermoplastic elastomers, scientists have been able to achieve the ballistic characteristics of the previous coating of polyurethane, combined with the transparency of the new material, lighter weight and the ability to repair damaged armor. Moreover, due to the scattering properties of the elastomer are falling from the bullets have no effect on the invisibility of the material even with multiple hits.
