Using composite metal foam (CMF), scientists at the North Carolina State University have developed a bulletproof material that can stop the ball and armor-piercing . 50 caliber rounds as well as conventional steel armor, even though it weighs less than half as much.
What is composite metal foam?
Composite metal foam (CMF) is low-weight high-strength metal foam manufactured using hollow metallic spheres embedded in a solid metal matrix. … These properties have made composite metal foams strong candidates for applications in composite armor systems.
How strong is composite metal foam?
Previous work has found the metal foam is remarkably tough: it can withstand .50 caliber rounds, resist high temperatures, and block blast pressure from high explosive incendiary rounds.
Is metal foam heavy?
Compared to polymer foams in vehicles, metallic foams are stiffer, stronger, more energy absorbent, and resistant to fire and the weather adversities of UV light, humidity, and temperature variation. However, they are heavier, more expensive, and non-insulating.
Can metal foam stop a bullet?
If you make that foam out of metal, it turns out, it can stop a projectile. Researchers from North Carolina State University have created just such a foam, and it can freeze the trajectory of a . 50 caliber bullet better than the current armor used by the military—thick slabs of steel—at half the weight.
Which metal is bullet proof?
Kevlar. Perhaps one of the better-known bulletproof materials, Kevlar is a synthetic fiber that’s heat resistant and incredibly strong. It’s also lightweight, making it a popular choice for wearable bulletproof items. Kevlar is used in both military and civilian applications.
What are the downsides of metal foam?
Conventional metal foams have gas-filled pores within the metal, which reduce weight but pose some drawbacks, such as difficulty in controlling the size and shape of the pores during manufacturing.
Is metal foam expensive?
Metal foams are still very expensive due to the complicated and energy-intensive manufacturing procedure. … As against conventional bulk metals and alloys such as stainless steel; composite metal foams expand at a relatively constant pace on being exposed to high heat.
What company makes metal foam?
Fuel injection & jet engines American Elements manufactures a wide variety of metal and ceramic foams. Ceramic foams are typically open-cell foams, while foamed metals can be produced with either open or closed cells.
Is there bulletproof metal?
This is no ordinary metal. … Created by melting aluminum around hollow metal spheres, composite metal foam is 70% lighter than sheet metal and can absorb 80 times more energy than steel. It is fireproof, radiation-resistant, and even bulletproof.
What is the strongest metal?
Tungsten Tungsten has the highest tensile strength of any pure metal – up to 500,000 psi at room temperature. Even at very high temperatures over 1,500°C, it has the highest tensile strength. However, tungsten metal is brittle, making it less useable in its pure state.
What is CMF foam?
CMF is a foam that consists of hollow, metallic spheres — made of materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel or titanium — embedded in a metallic matrix made of steel, aluminum or other metallic alloys.
Which metal Cannot be penetrated by bullets?
Bullet-resistant materials (also called ballistic materials or, equivalently, anti-ballistic materials) are usually rigid, but may be supple. They may be complex, such as Kevlar, UHMWPE, Lexan, or carbon fiber composite materials, or basic and simple, such as steel or titanium.
What are 2 of the potential uses for metal foam?
The open variety is ideal for vibration and sound absorption, filtration and catalysis at high temperatures, for heat exchange and in medical devices. The open variety is also useful in functional applications such as filtration and damping. Foam metal is being used as an experimental prosthetic in animals.
How thick does metal have to be to stop a bullet?
1/4-inch thick A bullet-resistant panel just 1/4-inch thick can stop at least three 9mm bullets fired dead on from just a few feet away.
Is there any body armor that can stop a 50 cal?
50 caliber rounds as well as conventional steel armor, even though it weighs less than half as much. Researchers have demonstrated that vehicle armor using composite metal foam (CMF) can stop ball and armor-piercing . 50 caliber rounds as well as conventional steel armor, even though it weighs less than half as much.
How thick does titanium have to be to stop a 50 cal bullet?
Due to the low sectional impact energy, the titanium sheet or plate used to protect against handgun ammunition ( especially for monolithic armor) will typically have a thickness less than one-half the diameter of the projectile (t/D < 0.5).
Can a Kevlar vest stop a 50 cal?
Most body armor is useless against .50 caliber rounds, as they are only meant to protect against cartridges with less than 1/3 of the energy of the . 50 caliber.
Will Kevlar stop a bullet?
Kevlar is the most commonly used material as armour for protection against bullets used in hand guns because of its impact resistance, high strength and low weight. These properties make Kevlar an ideal material to be used in bullet-proof vests as compared to other materials.
Can Kevlar stop a sniper bullet?
Bullet-proof vests contain many layers of tightly-woven fabric such as Kevlar (or hard, strong materials such as ceramic or titanium) which can stop the metal pistol or revolver bullets or metal shell fragments from going into a person’s body.
What is the thinnest bulletproof material?
US researchers have found that, by stacking sheets of graphene on top of each other, it has between eight and 10 times the stopping power of steel. I know, I know — at this point, it’s hardly surprising that graphene would make the ideal material for thin and light bulletproof armor.
Is metal foam natural?
4.4 Steel Foam Structures. Metal foams are lightweight cellular materials inspired by natural materials like woods, bones and sea sponges (García-Moreno, 2016). It is a cellular structure of solid metal containing a large volume fraction of gas filled pores.
Is metal foam good for the environment?
Compared to other technologies of porous structures, the method is relatively inexpensive and environment-friendly, because instead of chemicals in the process of foaming gas is used, e.g. the air.
Where is metal foam made?
molten metal Metallic foams are formed through a series of steps. First, metallic melts are foamed by creating gas bubbles in the molten metal. Because the gas bubbles are less dense and have higher buoyancy than the metal melt, they rise to the surface.
What are the benefits of metal foam?
It is noted that metal foams are able to combine low density with good bending stiffness and strength, making them attractive core materials for use in industrial applications (e.g. aircraft wing structures).
What is Aluminium foam used for?
They are used in structures such as heat sinks and exchangers, chemical beds and scrubbers, filters and mist eliminators, and battery plates. Like closed cell foams, they continue to find use in applications where vibration and sound absorption is needed.
What is titanium foam used for?
Titanium Foam Applications With its unique properties, titanium filter can be widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, water treatment industry, food industry, bioengineering, chemical industry, petrochemical, metallurgical industry, and gas purification. It is a new material with broad development prospects.
What is carbon foam?
Carbon foam—a stiff, porous structure formed from a web of carbon atoms—is the stuff of manufacturers’ dreams. The breakthrough material is strong but lightweight, non-flammable and able to maintain its performance at high temperatures, and capable of absorbing sound and radiation.
How are ceramic foams made?
Ceramic foams are produced by incorporating air into a suspension or liquid media, which is subsequently set in order to keep the structure of air bubbles created. Then, the consolidated foams are afterwards sintered at high temperature to obtain high-strength foams [4].
Is aluminum a natural resource?
Aluminum does not exist in a pure state in nature. The production of primary aluminum metal begins with bauxite ore, which is composed of hydrated aluminum oxide (40% to 60%) mixed with silica and iron oxide. It takes approximately 4 to 5 tonnes of bauxite ore to produce 2 tonnes of alumina.
Graduated from ENSAT (national agronomic school of Toulouse) in plant sciences in 2018, I pursued a CIFRE doctorate under contract with Sun’Agri and INRAE in Avignon between 2019 and 2022. My thesis aimed to study dynamic agrivoltaic systems, in my case in arboriculture. I love to write and share science related Stuff Here on my Website. I am currently continuing at Sun’Agri as an R&D engineer.