Graphene Body Armor - Sooner Than Expected?

Having co-authored a book about graphene, I follow developments in the field fairly closely and when this headline appeared in my newsfeed, I took notice:

“This Ultra-Thin Material Can Stop Bullets by Hardening Like a Diamond” (link below).

(What? This article about graphene did not appear in YOUR newsfeed? How is that possible? I thought we were all reading the same news? But that is the topic of another future blog…)

The gist is this: Scientists discovered that when two layers of single-atom-thick sheets of graphene (which is just carbon in a unique geometry) are impacted, they become harder than diamond, potentially stopping the passage of the impactor. Translation: When you fire a bullet at the two, ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight graphene sheets, it is (likely) stopped from passing through. They then postulate that this could be the basis of a whole new type of bulletproof vest or body armor that weighs no more than a normal shirt or undershirt. The stuff of science fiction becoming is becoming reality right before our eyes.

But it won’t stop there. The military uses are potentially endless: Better tank armor, more robust aircraft (from bombers, to fighters, to helicopters). What would happen if bullets or artillery shells were coated with similar graphene layers? Submarines?

Given that graphene is transparent, think about how robust your cell phone screen might become? What about your car windows or those on your home in hurricane-prone Florida? Dream on. Would-be entrepreneurs out there should get busy and begin making some of these a reality – create your own market.

To read the original article, go here: https://bigthink.com/paul-ratner/this-ultra-thin-material-can-stop-bullets-by-hardening-like-a-diamond