Body armor, the defensive garments, intended to absorb and deflect attacks of weapons can be made out of human hair, suggested a new study. Human hair, which is ultra-thin and often overlooked by people due to their infinitesimal size, can be a promising material for manufacturing body armors in the near future. In the new study, the researchers found the incredibly strong and resistive feature of hair, which in the near future can lead the researchers to develop high-end materials like body armor.
According to a team of researchers at the University of California, San Diego, the human hair, soon will be a suitable material for the development of multiple new tools, possibly even body armor too. The research sponsored by the Air Force Office of Science Research involved the through experiments and studies on human hair at the molecular altitude in order to get promising sights about the usefulness of this natural super material. After experimenting, the researchers have suggested it to be efficient for developing new materials, body armor too.
As mentioned by the analysts, in their recently published study, human hair have a strength-to-weight ratio that is almost equal to the strength of steel. Moreover, it also can be drawn out nearly two times more than its standard length. During the study, the scientists also found that the speed of the hair, in which it is being lengthened at matters become much stronger when it’s long-drawn-out at a faster pace. The analysts also found the capability of hair to withstand up to 80% twist before the breach.
According to Marc Meyers, “The study was completely inspired by the natural ecosystem and of course by the ultra-light natural element – hair. Hair is one of the most interesting materials and architects of nature and it is very resourceful in its own way. While studying the material, we mostly focused on understanding the association between the formation of the hair and its biological properties and experimented on its efficiency to develop synthetic stuff and designs, based on nature. At the end, the material shows some positive points, which can pave the path for the development of ultra-light materials in the near future, the materials which will deliver better and faster performance than accessible ones.”
The study was led by Marc Meyers, a professor at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering.