New liquid body armor offers troops more safety

A new type of liquid body armor could potentially save many more U.S. troops from injury or death.

The armor is a flexible material that differs from the stiff Kevlar vests troops currently wear, and it could also be used to protect parts of the body the current armor cannot.

Researchers at the University of Delaware developed the armor by treating Kevlar with a liquid containing millions of tiny glass or ceramic particles. The flexible armor becomes immediately stiff when agitated or hit by a sudden impact.

"The particles jam up, forming a logjam structure that prevents things from
penetrating through them," says Norman Wagner of the university.

Lab video shows that bullets will penetrate a thin layer of Kevlar, but they bounce right off the treated Kevlar.

"We can make thin layers of materials for use on the arms and legs that remain flexible under normal motion, but become rigid and absorb energy when impacted by a ballistic threat or a knife," Wagner says.

U.S. manufacturer Armor Holdings licensed the technology, and plans to release its first products by the end of the year.

There could also be civilian applications that could protect people from car crashes or improving tire quality.