Metal foam obliterates bullets... new concept for armor

[Nemo288]

What happens to this 7.62 bullet is quite dramatic.
Metal foam obliterates bullets
"We could stop the bullet at a total thickness of less than an inch, while the indentation on the back was less than 8 millimeters.
To put that in context, the NIJ standard allows up to 44 millimeters indentation in the back of an armor."

 

[LVSteve]

Let's see if the first question is what I think it will be.

 

[Peak53]

Who is going to be the bullet test dummy?

 

[finesse_r]

All you have to do is promise to show the test on U-TUBE an volunteers will show up by the dozens, just for a chance to be in a reality video.

 

[Tom S.]

Very cool technology! Some musings though. Often, then hit with an armor piercing round, the bullet passes through, and other than a relatively small wound channel, the person recovers well. On the other hand, how much energy does this material transfer to the wearer? Could it still be fatal if it's a chest hit, or would a plate still need to be worn to spread out the impact? In either scenario, I'd prefer not to be shot in the first place, but if this can safely protect our solders, I'm all for it.

 

[Nemo288]

That's a good point.
Shirley we are heading to a monolithic copper bullet future.
Not only are they more expensive, I suspect they will wear out barrels faster.
So obviously this is the only way to go!
Wait 'till the Greens realize they have mandated armor piercing bullets.

Still I agree with you.
This stuff is interesting and should be investigated if it will do our men and women any good at all.

 

[Retired LTC USAR]

Think how much weight reduction this would mean for armored cars and trucks. Wonder what a 3' X 3' sheet cost?

 

[JayCeeNC]

To heck with the truck and cars, think about the weight reduction in body armor for the poor Joe humping outside the wire.
I blame my arthritis mostly on spending a couple years in Iraq and A-stan jumping out of vehicles every day wearing 40+ lbs of armor and gear while in my 50's...

 

[Harkrader]

Sure wish we could keep this technology a secret from our enemies abroad.

 

[Nemo288]

Most technical "secrets" are usually engineering methods.
Take the atomic bomb.
The basic idea and the physics were always fairly well known and today are universal.
The complicated and exacting methods and materials are the stumbling block and the reason one can't just whip one out.
The same applies to (usually) simpler industrial processes.
I suspect this foam may not be that easy to make which is why it is just now being demonstrated in the lab.
If that place is like our University, the U may have the rights to any patent that is forthcoming although some sharing agreements have been done.
In fact, we have a whole institute that takes care of those things.
WARF Essential Topics - WARF

Speaking of physics, there is no such thing as a free lunch.
The momentum has to go somewhere; either be transferred or converted.
Converted to heat is going to be a lot more comfortable to the potential armor wearer than transferred (rapidly).
This could be one of the main advantages of this style armor.
It may turn out that a light solid plate behind the foam is the real answer.

 

[amazingflapjack]

and stop calling me shirley...