Graphene armor is 10 times more effective than steel.

According to the website of the Royal Chemical Community , a group of engineers from the Massachusetts Institute, led by an assistant professor Jae-Hwang Lee, tested graphene as a possible material to create armor. Scientists have come to the conclusion that a multilayer material made of graphene with a thickness of about 10-100 nm is capable of absorbing energy 10 times more than steel before collapsing.



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 multi-layer graphene target. ” The shell hit the target at a supersonic speed of 600 m / s. As a result of the tests, it was revealed that such a target is able to absorb up to 0.92 Megajoules per kilogram. For comparison, steel at this speed can absorb no more than 0.08 MJ / kg.
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Graphene, a two-dimensional carbon crystal lattice, is known for its unique strength properties. As James Hawn , a professor at Columbia University, colorfully remarked , “an elephant balancing on a pencil will be needed to break through a graphene sheet with tape thickness”. The ability of graphene to absorb shock is not surprising. The lighter and denser the material, the faster sound and energy from blows propagate 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 methods for its production on a macroscopic scale.