Chemistry is everywhere. Even where you don't expect it. With the 'chemistry =' poster campaign we want to show how self-explanatory chemistry actually is. Want to know more about the chemistry involved? Scroll down for additional information.
Bulletproof armour that still allows free movement wasn’t discovered until 1960. This armour was made of strong plastic fibres. Later, new and even stronger fibres were introduced. The fibres lie in thin layers which are arranged on top of each other. Every layer forms a mini safety net. Together they ensure that the bullet is deflected and that the force of the impact is dispersed over a large area of the body.
Finely woven fibres
Soft vests are made of finely woven fibres. If you look at them under a microscope, they resemble a spider’s web. When a bullet hits the vest, its impact is spread over the interconnected layers of fibres. Soft vests are primarily used by the police and security firms.
Compressed layers
Hard vests are soft vests which contain a number of hard plates. The fibres in the hard plates are compressed together at great force. The vest pushes out on the bullet with the same force with which the bullet pushes in. Hard vests offer better protection against bullets than soft vests, but they’re heavier. They are often used by the military. That’s the low-down on bulletproof vests!
