Graphene armor is 10 times more effective than steel



    According to the Royal Chemical Community website , a group of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute led by assistant professor Jae-Hwang Lee tested graphene as a possible material for creating armor. Scientists came to the conclusion that multilayer graphene material with a thickness of the order of 10-100 nm is capable of absorbing 10 times more energy than steel before it collapses.



    Jae-Hwang Lee: “Our group was the first to test the resistance of graphene to objects moving at speeds comparable to the speed of a bullet. Since the tests were carried out at the micro level, we could not use pistols and bullets. "We used a laser to accelerate a microscopic silicon projectile that hit a target of multilayer graphene." The projectile crashed into a target at a supersonic speed of 600 m / s. As a result of tests, it was revealed that such a target is capable of absorbing up to 0.92 megajoules per kilogram. For comparison, steel at this speed is capable of absorbing no more than 0.08 MJ / kg.



    Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon crystal lattice, is known for its unique strength properties. As James Hawn colorfully remarked, a professor at Columbia University, "to break through a sheet of graphene as thick as a tape of tape, you need an elephant balancing on a pencil." The ability to absorb graphene is not surprising. The lighter and denser the material, the faster the sound and energy from impacts spread through it. Graphene - the material is extremely light and dense, the speed of sound in it exceeds 20 km / s. The only obstacle to the widespread use of this amazing material is the lack of reliable ways to obtain it on a macroscopic scale.


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