Liquid Armor the New Bulletproof Vest

kjh1 writes "Armor Holdings Inc. plans to start selling their 'liquid armor' next year. The new armor, originally envisioned to be spread on like peanut butter, is instead sprayed onto Kevlar in ultrathin coats. From the article: 'it's a mix of polyethylene glycol, a polymer found in laxatives and other consumer products, and nanobits of silica, or purified sand. Together they produce a "sheer-thickening liquid" that stiffens instantly into a shield when hit hard by an object. It reverts to its liquid state just as fast when the energy from the projectile dissipates.'"

Okay what the fuck

[Anonymous Coward]

First the military is developing something called an "ultrasonic tourniquet", now somebody is making bulletproof peanut butter?? Fuck this shit, the universe is just too weird right now. I am going to bed.

"a polymer found in laxatives"

[Riktov]

"it's a mix of polyethylene glycol, a polymer found in laxatives..."

As if having a gun fired at you isn't enough to make you shit your pants...

Perfect for April Fools

[Alaria Phrozen]

My snobby boss loves to swim in his private pool. Oh, what fun it would be to coat the surface of it with this stuff so when he dives in head first he gives himself a nose bleed. Of course the stuff will instantly reliquify, letting him slide into the water like he just got the worst belly-flop ever.

Re:Wolverine

[Flounder]

But could it stop a lightsaber? Cause you know there's scientists in North Korea working on lightsaber technology. Mr. President, we cannot allow a lightsaber gap!

Re:Shear-thickening

[Alaria Phrozen]

Product Announcement! New, glistening panty-hose. Shimmering as if they're wet. Catches eyes. Attracts only the daring. Promotes celibacy and abstinence!

In the heat of the moment, you push her against the wall and kiss. Heat. Fire. Desire. You reach down below her skirt, and trying to be spontanious, rip at her pantyhose... but wait! No satisfying tear or gasp escape from her lips... ... humiliation as you try again and again, unable to even stretch the panty-chasty-hose. The situation goes... limp.

"Liqui-hose, helping you dodge a bullet every night."

Re:Other Applications

[mobby_6kl]

> Ok, forget the bulletproof vests, because I'll never need one.

Never say never!

Dune had it

[Flying pig]

It's in Dune. Shields result in a form of fighting in which the object is to make way for a slow knife atatck that will go through the shield. Off-topic, it's a pity that Herbert didn't stop at the first book because the rest were so poor by comparison. He used up a lifetime of good ideas in one book and couldn't think of any others. Sad...a friend once suggested that the only titles missing from the series were Dune Buggy and Dune ot forsake me oh my darling.

Re:Video link

[BarryNorton]

So how would this have protected his Sergeant's groin?

"What are you doing, soldier?"

"Painting my groin, sir..."

Re:Gloves

[Ohreally_factor]

Can they produce gloves able to stand up to shark bites ?

Thereby forcing sharks to evolve frickin' lasers on their heads.

Re:Custard

[FST777]

being gentle will let you penetrate it, but use force and you bounce off

You're sure you're talking about custard?

Re:A Similar idea

[Vengeance]

Hrmmm...

So with this new advanced 'd30' stuff, does that mean you need to roll a natural 30 to get a critical hit?

Re:Other Applications

[Haeleth]

if ... you're not a drunk/wreckless driver that is likely to slam into a building/rock face/telephone pole/whatever

I would think it very unlikely that a driver reckless enough to be likely to slam into buildings or rock faces would remain wreckless for long.

Damn, now I'll have to respec

[Moraelin]

This material (the liquid is only one component, anyway) is protecting against piercing, not crushing.

Darn. Now I'll have to respec my Rogue to use maces instead of daggers.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:Custard

[MrNaz]

Where on earth did you grow up that old wives talk about knife-fighting while wearing kevlar?

Laxatives are good for you

[Brix Braxton]

Funny that they use an ingredient found in laxatives for all of those "oh crap" moments.

Re:Other Applications

[GalacticCmdr]

A couple of friends of mine ran into a M60A2 tank with volkswagen beatle, and I can assure you that any car has plenty of crumple zone when it hits a tank weighing 60-70 tons! Actualy they were quite lucky and both was thrown through the winshield and woke up on top of the tank rather than under it like their car.

Did these "friends" of yours also happen to have a car full of explosives and yelling "God is Great" when they hit the tank.

Re:Video link

[IAmTheDave]

I'd also expect the DuPont company to try to bring this to market - maybe in their auto paints?

Just don't paint too quickly, or your brush might suddenly become a hammer.

Re:Video link

[CaseyB]

Yeah, because when they say "bounce off", they obviously mean that it reflects the bullets away perfectly at their original speeds. Hence, they are *doubling* the energy of the impact in the perfectly ideal billiard-ball reaction that happens every time a bullet hits the armour in real life.

Of course, they also have the benefit that whenever someone shoots at the armour, the bullet is bounced directly back down the barrel of their gun, possibly killing them.

This stuff sounds like..

[cayenne8]

This stuff sounds like liquid "Stretch Armstrong". The thing was pretty mushy and pliable, but, man if you got hit over the head with one of those...you were 'out' for awhile...

All I could think on reading this post...

[technococcus]

"Arg! My squeedleespooch!" -Zim, Invader Zim

Re:Video link

[camperdave]

Of course, this only happens when shooting at Chuck Norris.

Re:Video link

[Anonymous Coward]

swiss craftsmen painstakingly hand-polish each grain until it reaches the correct size

Bill Hicks

[giminy]

Bill Hicks predicted the future:

*pshwhshswsh*

"What's that?"

"Musket repellant."

Re:Video link

[Fnkmaster]

Can we ... PLEASE... stop talking about groin shots?!??

Thanks.

Re:Other Applications

[kkwst2]

...and thus inversely proportional to testicular mass.