How Bullet Proof Vests Work
Also known as body armors, there are different types of bullet proof vests. The most common is the soft vest usually used by the police force and private security; it cannot stop ammunition of big caliber. Hard-plate reinforced vests are necessary when heavy ammunition is involved; they are used as part of the default equipment in the Army.
Soft bullet proof vests are formed from advanced woven fibers that can be sewn into vests and other soft clothing. The fibers form a tight interlaced net which disperses the energy of the bullet reducing its speed until it stops. The most effective material used in body armor is Kevlar fiber. Kevlar is light as cloth, but five times stronger than a piece of steel of the same weight. When interlaced into a dense net, this material can absorb a great amount of energy. The fivers are usually twisted individually and the material covered by a double coat of resin and plastic. The second most used material is Vectran, which is two times stronger than Kevlar. New trends include spider web, feathers and carbon nanotubes.
How does the Bullet Proof Vest Stop Bullets?
The bullets do so much damage because of the focused blunt trauma: they focus all the impact in a reduced area increasing the penetration rate. Bullet proof vests are designed to spread the energy laterally over the whole vest while deforming the bullet at the same time. The system works as the net of a soccer goal, lateral tension of the net spreads the energy of the impact and stops the ball without reflecting it (in most cases), the collision is completely inelastic. When hard protective pieces are added, the bullets might be deflected instead of stopped, but in the case of soft body armor it is extremely difficult to deflect a bullet, it will be trapped by the material and stopped.
Even when the bullet doesn't touch the skin, the impact can cause some internal trauma.
For more information on bullet proof vests, visit the Body Armor page at the Liberty Library.
|
|
Comments (3)
Leave a Reply
- Liquid Armor
Liquid armor is a new development in the body armor field. It is a material that makes lightweight, flexible and tough body armors possible. Body Armor Body armor is a protective clothing designed to stop bullets or bomb fragments and shrapnel from penetrating the human body. They are descended from leather or metal armor designed [...]...
- Body Armor
Body armor is a protective piece designed to stop projectiles. Modern body armors are also known as bulletproof vests. They are used by police, the Army and private security as default vest. The name bulletproof is deceptive though, as no body armor currently available can stop all bullets. The design and materials have evolved with [...]...
- How Magnets Work
A magnet is an object formed out of any type of material that can produce its own magnetic field. Such materials include hard magnets and soft magnets. Examples of hard magnets are neodymium magnets and refrigerator magnets which always remember the way in which they were magnetized.Examples of soft magnets are electromagnets, which can be [...]...
- Exoskeleton for Humans
Exoskeletons, in the natural state, refer to the hard shell or 'skins' of insects (such as beetles and cockroaches) and crustaceans (shrimps and crabs). An exoskeleton is a hard outer structure which provides form, structure, protection, and support to the 'soft' inner workings of a creature. This is unlike that of birds and other animals [...]...
- Hyanide
A Hyanide is a radical new vehicle design incorporating the characteristics of a snowmobile, an all-terrain vehicle or ATV and a motorcycle. It can go over snow, rough terrain and the highway. It was named Hyanide because of its similarity in appearance to a crouching hyena. The Hyanide does not use wheels or skis but [...]...
Which is better in a bullet proof vest…1A, 11A, or 111A? Also is there a point blank vest?
Do you buy buy the wearer’s weight?
Thank you!
17th of july was my birthday *dance*
oh and 111A is a recomendation for me.