Poly elastomers take a beating and bounce right back.
A new method for testing the durability of polymers—courtesy of researchers at the Army Research Lab and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology—has revealed that some materials appear to strengthen themselves when struck by rapidly moving objects. These materials could be used in future U.S. Army helmets and armor.
The engineers discovered that when targets made of poly(urethane urea) elastomers (PUUs) are hit at high speed by micro-particles made of silica, the target displays hyper elastic behavior. That is, they become extremely stiff when deformed at strain rates on the order of 108/sec, which means the target material deforms to half its original thickness in an extremely short time (one second divided by hundred millions). PUUs also quickly return to their original shape after the impact.
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WNU Editor: These materials could probably also be used in body armor.
