Whenever I'm visiting a war zone, like lovely downtown Basra, sunny Beirut, or Christmas morning with my family, I often wonder if there isn't a better way to protect myself other than wearing my lucky Chewbacca underwear. Turns out a company named Auxetix has developed a composite fabric called Zetix that can withstand blasts from multiple car bombs. It could be used for body armor, weapon-proof tents, or even in medical applications as medical sutures that don't damage body tissue.
The fabric works on a principle called helical auxetics, which means that it's made of materials that are woven in such a way that they get fatter when stretched, not thinner. Helically wound fabrics can withstand several blasts without breaking and are much stronger than other materials in their class. That should get me through sitting next to Uncle Milton after he loads up on beans and broccoli.
You can observe auxetics in action if you wrap a thin bit of string around a bungee cord. When you pull the string taut, the bungee actually flexes outward, mimicking the materials expansion that occurs when helically wound fabric absorbs and distributes impact from trauma or an explosion. Weave thousands of these structures together on a micro level and you've got one indestructible sweater.
The material becomes more cost-effective because it lasts through many offenses, whereas conventional armor is usually rendered ineffective after a single explosion event. Auxetix clients include the U.S. and British governments, and outside of military applications he notes that they could be used in rescue work and disaster relief situations, like hurricanes or Uncle Milton.
I'm going to get a Zetix Christmas sweater as soon as I can...I wonder if they have it in snowman/reindeer scene?
Zetix Blast-Proof Fabric Resists Multiple Car Bombs, Makes Our Heads Explode (Gizmodo)
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