Whenever body armor comes to mind, we expect it to be heavy and inconvenient. However, there is a lightweight variant that makes use of 2D polymer material that is stronger than steel but as flexible as fabric.
If you have this chainman mail-inspired armor, you might feel that your movements are very light—thanks to the material made out of interlocking molecular chains.
What is the 2D Mechanically Interlocked Polymer Material?
The discovery lies in the core of a polymer material that is built up in a special molecular structure. In contrast to traditional polymers, which depend on covalent bonds - sharing of electrons - this material makes use of mechanical bonds, physically interlocking as the links of chainmail. According to Northwestern University scientists, this makes the material exceptionally strong yet surprisingly flexible and is perfect for applications where both strength and comfort are desired, such as in body armor.
Read More: China's Black Panther 2.0 Robot Dog Runs 100 Meters Under 10 Seconds: New World Record For Real?
How Does This Work?
This 2D polymer structure is engineered at a nanoscale, which is measured in nanometers. Monomers with the shape of an X are organized into a crystal structure. Those crystals then react with a second molecule in order to mechanically bond together.
"We made a completely new polymer structure," study co-author William Dichtel of Northwestern University said describing it as similar to chainmail.
The end product is a sheet of 2D polymer molecules that interlock with one another, providing the material to be strong and elastic.
This material is distinguished by its outstanding bond density: there are 100 trillion mechanical bonds per 0.16 square inch (1 square centimeter). Such record-breaking bond density is what makes this material so much stronger than regular polymers. The material, though strong, is flexible, which makes it manipulable and usable in a wide variety of applications.
Material Like No Other: High-Risk, High-Reward Innovation
One of the biggest challenges in developing this material was finding a way to guide the polymers into forming mechanical bonds. The breakthrough came when Madison Bardot and her team at Northwestern University figured out how to use X-shaped monomers to create a stable crystalline structure. By carefully controlling this arrangement and introducing a chemical reaction, they were able to form mechanical bonds within the crystals.
Gizmodo reports that this was no small feat as it essentially entailed questioning established assumptions about what types of reactions are possible in molecular crystals. The result was worth the risk: a material that could outperform traditional polymers in both strength and flexibility.
Where Can We Use This Special Polymer
Another limitation of previous mechanically bonded polymers in small-scale manufacture, this one can be used on a far larger scale; the team obtained more than an ounce (over 0.5 kilograms) of the material and believes a much larger weight is feasible to obtain.
At such a scalable level, doors open for this material in light body armor all the way down to ballistic textiles used in various military and defense applications.
The same new polymer even in small quantities can significantly upgrade the properties of other materials. For example, the researchers could make a composite material with as low as 97.5 percent Ultem fiber, a pretty tough material such as Kevlar, and just 2.5% of the new 2D polymer.
When the new polymer was added, the overall strength of the composite increased, signifying its capacity to enhance durability in existing materials.
Futuristic Protective Materials
This game-breaking 2D polymer material has the potential to redefine what we consider "lightweight" and "strong." Its unique combination of flexibility and strength could make it the go-to material for advanced body armor, ballistic fabrics, and other protective products.
While more analysis is needed, the initial results are promising, and researchers are excited to continue exploring the possibilities for this remarkable material.
In the near future, we could see body armor that is not only stronger but also more comfortable and lightweight, providing better protection without compromising on mobility. This could be the armor of tomorrow—light as fabric, yet stronger than steel.
