Kevlar? Hah! You'll Want Pure Carbon in Your Bulletproof Vest

[KDR_11k]

How flammable is it? Would we see people switching to tracer munitions to set these graphene vests on fire?

 

[Albino Boo]

How flammable is it? Would we see people switching to tracer munitions to set these graphene vests on fire?

Less flammable than kevlar. Kevlar is long chain polymer that will burn at around 500 C and graphene will melt at around 5000 C.

 

[Alcamonic]

Now, what would happen of someone started using bullets made out of graphene?

 

[bjj hero]

Kevlar? Hah! You'll Want Pure Carbon in Your Bulletproof Vest

Graphene, a form of pure carbon, has been shown to perform twice as well as Kevlar and withstand 10 times the kinetic energy that steel can.

Youre reporting graphene makes better bullet proof vests when the independent is reporting that graphene could cause a green energy revolution in hydrogrn storage, literally changing the world as we know it?

Priorities people.

 

[Rhykker]

Kevlar? Hah! You'll Want Pure Carbon in Your Bulletproof Vest

Graphene, a form of pure carbon, has been shown to perform twice as well as Kevlar and withstand 10 times the kinetic energy that steel can.

Youre reporting graphene makes better bullet proof vests when the independent is reporting that graphene could cause a green energy revolution in hydrogrn storage, literally changing the world as we know it?

Priorities people.

Well, they won't be able to cause any kind of revolution without proper bulletproof vests. Ahem.

 

[lunavixen]

Shouldn't they be testing at the speed for which it's use will generally be applicable? This seems like the logic that went into building the Titanic...

Actually no, pushing the material to its limits can demonstrate any fundamental weaknesses of the material in question (such as the radial cracks and how they spread, or the fact that it shatters, making it difficult to repair and expensive to replace), by only testing up to "what it's going to be used for", it leaves all sorts of unanswered questions and potential for gremlins, and who knows, they might find another application for it down the road. There is also the very real possibility that graphene is only going to be usable in certain situations and won't sustain the necessary wear and tear that comes with everyday use or scale for anything practical.

 

[Something Amyss]

Youre reporting graphene makes better bullet proof vests when the independent is reporting that graphene could cause a green energy revolution in hydrogrn storage, literally changing the world as we know it?

Priorities people.

Going green is a nice priority. But becoming Batman?

I think the priorities are in the right order.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

Aggregated diamond nanorods (hyperdiamonds) are much stronger than normal diamonds.

Wouldn't mind a vest made out of those, would be somewhat straining on the wallet I would think.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Now, what would happen of someone started using bullets made out of graphene?

The exact same thing that would happen with a steel tipped bullet, it will cut through any currently used personal armor like it's butter. The upside of course is that a bullet of such rigidity will also pass through the body with the least amount of damage done, which is why those are not used against people and why the armor available is not made to counter it.

 

[Albino Boo]

Now, what would happen of someone started using bullets made out of graphene?

You would produce a very expense puff of carbon dust. Graphene is brittle and will shatter into effectively dust.

 

[Lightknight]

Great article, thank you.

I've always found the term "Bulletproof vest" to be dishonest. I'm surprised people haven't sued the manufacturers when an armor piercing round gets through the same way you could bring up a claim against a watch that purports to be "waterproof". Maybe there's some kind of standard by which something is deemed "bullet proof" that the industry hides behind?

Youre reporting graphene makes better bullet proof vests when the independent is reporting that graphene could cause a green energy revolution in hydrogrn storage, literally changing the world as we know it?

Priorities people.

Humans are capable of learning multiple uses for the same materials. This isn't an "either or" scenario. Both are legitimate pieces of information and the subject of anti-ballistics is pertinent to several of us here.

 

[bjj hero]

Going green is a nice priority. But becoming Batman?

I think the priorities are in the right order.

But if this is the start of a working arc reactor then we could become Ironman...

 

[bjj hero]

Humans are capable of learning multiple uses for the same materials. This isn't an "either or" scenario. Both are legitimate pieces of information and the subject of anti-ballistics is pertinent to several of us here.

Many of us will never go near a bullet proof vest never mind need one. A change from fossil fuels would touch all of us. And the escapist went with vests over clean energy for all.

 

[Lightknight]

Humans are capable of learning multiple uses for the same materials. This isn't an "either or" scenario. Both are legitimate pieces of information and the subject of anti-ballistics is pertinent to several of us here.

Many of us will never go near a bullet proof vest never mind need one. A change from fossil fuels would touch all of us. And the escapist went with vests over clean energy for all.

I'm unsure why that means we can't also hear about other new applications and innovations? Why does something else existing that you find personally more relevant mean that all other remotely related but less (subjectively) important must be somehow shelved?

Do you have any idea how many articles are written every year about how X could cause a revolution in energy storage? If we gave those stories priority over everything else just because bjj hero thinks we should then that would be an epic waste of our time.

Maybe it will make a difference, maybe it won't. But what we do know is that graphene can withstand more kinetic energy than kevlar thanks to this study. If you don't find that interesting information, then it likely wasn't written for you. But you really have no right to complain that the article exists for those of us who do enjoy these topics.

However, if you have a news story that you do believe is legitimate and relevant, there's a "Tip Us" button in the bottom left-hand part of every page on the escapist.

 

[Strazdas]

1) For now that's true. But with all the exciting applications of graphene, it's only a matter of time before it is produced in significant quantities and becomes cost effective. It's far more versatile than Kevlar, and especially with all the consumer electronics applications, tons of money is being dumped into research.

2) In all likelihood, it would be paired with some other material (like Kevlar) to "catch" the pieces so that shattering isn't a problem. It's not like anyone will just strap a sheet of graphene to their chest and hope for the best. The important part is how it dissipates energy effectively, and is very light weight. You can always supplement other materials to make up for its shortcomings. Also, from what I've read it's relatively easy to manipulate the physical properties of graphene, so maybe they find a "formula" that doesn't shatter.

1) no. It is not a matter of time. it is a possibility. Possibility does not mean definitive.

Thats the thing though. Tons of money is being dumped into research and they still dont know how to use it. Does not sound so versatile after all.

2) thats possible. however the title was "Kevlar? Hah! You'll Want Pure Carbon in Your Bulletproof Vest".