When it comes to protecting oneself against bullets, more often than not, Kevlar tends to be the one name that comes into mind. Researchers, however, might just have something better – touting graphene to be the best material when it comes to the manufacturing of bulletproof armors. Graphene was originally developed during laboratory trials in 2003, where it is not only thin, but close to being transparent as well. This material is said to be pure carbon that is 100 times lighter than steel when weighed.
Graphene has also been considered to be a whole lot stronger material when it comes to absorbing external forces exerted upon it, and also boasts of the ability to conduct heat as well as electricity. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst realized that graphene sheets could also shrug off bullets that were shot in its direction. In tests performed on graphene, it showed its ability to absorb two times as much force in comparison to Kevlar, and also absorb 8 to 10 times more force than the normal steel.
There is one major drawback, however, and it would be graphene ending up substantially stretched on a single impact, resulting in it being vulnerable when it comes to the corresponding impacts. Perhaps solving this problem could require a merger of graphene alongside other materials.
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