Mech 2602
Engineering materials
ASSIGNMENT 2:
BULLETPROOF GLASS
Student
:
SEBASTIAN LEE
Matric ID No.
:
183020372
Semester
:
November 2019 – February 2020
Program Code
:
AME 302
Lecturer
:
MDM. IDA RASYADA BINTI DAUD
Submission Date
:
14th of February, 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Index
Subject Matter
Page No.
1
Introduction / Research Background
1
2
Aim and Objectives
2
2.1
Aim of Study
2.2
Research Objectives
3
About the Material
3
4
Mechanical and Chemical Properties
6
5
Test Methodologies and Techniques
9
6
Adoption and Incorporation of Nanotechnology
in the Bulletproof Glass Industry
12
7
Conclusion
15
8
References
ii
i
1 | INTRODUCTION / RESEARCH BACKGROUND
Like any other academic fields or faculties, a comprehensive research that correlates with a specific
scope or area of study that is attributed to the course is part and parcel of tertiary level education. This is no
exception for the module Engineering Materials (MECH 2602) that I as a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical
Engineering (Hons.) student of the halls of ivy Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur (IUKL) is pursuing.
The assessment requirement of this module gives rise to this paperwork which is an output of cumulative class
pedagogy and holistic self-study about materials science. Equipped with the knowledge that I bear, I have
prepared this paperwork to articulate about a special material called the bulletproof glass. The backbone of
my research is mainly the Internet as I scoured the mass media for reliable secondary sources whereof I
winnowed out a dozen of promising information and then synthesized them into this report to convey the
summarized theories about bulletproof glass in
ehaviour
of the report objectives.
This paperwork essentially spells out what a bulletproof glass is and how it is made, relative to ordinary
glasses. Besides, readers will also dive into the historical background of its discovery which has changed the
world we are living today. The facts about bulletproof glass across recorded time also encompass a little bit
of the timeline of development of bulletproof glass and its applications. Additionally, this paperwork will also
get readers familiarized with the brief mechanism or working principle of bulletproof glass that could save
President Donald Trump from being assassinated while taking a ride in his limousine. Much more to that, the
first section of this report also enumerates the technology that is invented or innovated with the existence of
this special type of glass. In the second section, readers will learn about the mechanical and chemical
properties of bulletproof glass; the gist of this subject. In order to gauge these properties and behaviors, several
test methodologies and techniques are needed, which will also be accentuated in this report. Last but not least,
with the advancement in technology, many industries of a variety of fields have turned to nanotechnology,
and this includes the bulletproof glass industry.
According to Macmillan Dictionary, ‘bulletproof’ is defined as the quality of being made from a
material that stops bullets from passing through. On the other hand, Oxford Dictionary holds that ‘glass’ is a
hard, brittle substance, typically transparent or translucent, made by fusing sand with soda and lime and
cooling rapidly. The engineering definition of glass includes a whole range of substances that are not true
crystalline or amorphous solids. Hence, true to its name, bulletproof glass is an optically transparent material
that is resistant to being penetrated by bullets. In some cases, it is also referred to as bullet-resistant glass,
because it is not completely impenetrable. Bulletproof glass is also sometimes dubbed ballistic glass or
transparent armor, for the fact that bulletproof glasses are typically used as shields in walls or partitions of
highly vulnerable rooms while allowing sight and light to pass through.
1
2 | AIM AND OBJECTIVES
2.1 | AIM OF STUDY
With respect to the research as a whole, this course of action is focused toward discovering and enriching
students’ comprehension about a special non-metallic material known as bulletproof glass, encompassing its
mechanical properties and behaviors, mechanism or working principle, test methodologies and techniques,
timeline of development, and applications.
2.2 | RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Within the completion of this task, I should be able:i.
To compare and contrast between an ordinary glass and a bulletproof glass by fathoming out how the
latter is made and its physical and chemical properties with the pioneer behind its discovery, the
purposes of choosing bulletproof glass over the ordinary glass and which type of bulletproof glass to
select among the three common types by carrying out an online research pertaining to the given
assignment subject matter.
ii.
To associate my preexisting insights in the precursory module, i.e. Materials Science, particularly in
ceramics and the mechanical properties and materials testings topics which I learned before taking
this Engineering Materials subject through research on the test methodologies and techniques for
bulletproof glass as well as revision on the non-metallic material, as by possessing this knowledge, I
would also be able to plan ahead for my final year project and also my future workplace that might
be dealing with bulletproof glass material.
iii.
To meet the requirements of the Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering (Hons.) program
whereby prospective graduates of the university shall satisfy specific Programme Learning Outcomes
(PLO) as well as Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) of the Engineering Materials module which are
vital in establishing the career and professional accomplishments as practicing engineers after
graduation in accordance with the two Programme Educational Objectives (PEO) as formulated by
the aforementioned academic program through this research undertaking on bulletproof glass
material.
2
3 | ABOUT THE MATERIAL
The name itself is pretty self-explanatory, and it does actually come in various names as mentioned
earlier. Nevertheless, bulletproof glass is as a matter of fact, a misnomer because nothing is completely able
to protect from projectile bullets. The material simply dissipates the kinetic energy embodied by the bullets.
That is the basic idea behind bulletproof glass.
As an overview, it is a type of strong but optically transparent material that is particularly resistant to
being penetrated when struck. It is made out of at least one hard glass and one soft glass at the beginning of
construction. The softer layer makes the glass more elastic, so it can flex instead of shatter. There are
interlayers of plastic films sandwiched between multiple layers of glass which can absorb a flying bullet’s
energy upon impact. Bulletproof glass varies in thickness from 19 mm to 76 mm and it can be up to 10 times
thicker than a single pane of ordinary glass, thus it is relatively hefty.
While not actually bulletproof, the origin of bulletproof glass trails as far back as circa 1640 to a
scientific experiment, and it was a groundwork to what would become bulletproof glass. At that time, a type
of glass christened “Prince Rupert’s Drops” was developed that could withstand the swing of a hammer, made
by dribbling a dollop of molten glass into cold water, where the blob naturally wanted to form a teardrop. The
rapid cooling process caused the tempered glass forms to have a “bulletproof” head. Then it wasn’t until an
accidental discovery in 1903 when French chemist, Édouard Bénédictus accidentally knocked a beaker filled
with plastic cellulose nitrate off his desk and much to his wonder, the glass did not break into tiny pieces as
he would have expected, but instead simply broke while still maintaining its form. This was the result of the
plastic cellulose nitrate that had dried on the interior of the beaker, creating an adhesive film coating. He went
on to create shatter-proof glass precipitated by bonding a layer of celluloid between two layers of glass and
patented his invention in 1909. This same lamination process, now comprised of a flexible polycarbonate
sandwiched between two layers of glass, is used in modern bulletproof glass.
The following points highlight the rest of the timeline of bulletproof glass development.
•
1914 – After successfully patenting his laminated safety glass in France in 1909, Édouard Bénédictus
did the same thing stateside.
•
1914 – 1918 – To protect soldiers’ eyes, safety glass was incorporated into the eyeholes of World War
I gas masks. It was also used for fighter plane windshields.
•
1920 – Bulletproof glass was put in place in bank teller stations. It also incorporates voice transmission
system to allow for better communication between both the teller and patron without compromising
safety.
3
•
1930 – Bulletproof glass began getting implemented in cars, but because it costs an arm and a leg, its
use was limited to criminals and the upper class.
•
1942 – After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, one of several security measures taken to protect the
President was installing bulletproof glass in the Oval Office.
•
1953 – Polycarbonates, a group of clear and easily moldable plastics, were discovered by scientists H.
Schnell and D. W. Fox. As Mr. Fox worked for General Electrics, polycarbonates began to be used in
commercial products in the late 1950s.
•
1956 – After being attacked by acid and rocks, The Louvre decided to put the Mona Lisa painting
behind bulletproof glass while in residence and while traveling to galleries around the world.
•
1982 – Invented by Jacques Sauret and Gerard Grosse, the first US patent was tendered exclusively
for bulletproof glass.
•
1994 – A patent was granted for William P. Stephinson’s modern bulletproof glass constituting
alternating sheets of slightly flexible glass and polycarbonates.
To shed some light on the mechanism or working principle of a bulletproof glass, first, we shall get to
know how it is made. This type of glass typically uses alternating layers of glass and plastic films to absorb
the force of an impact. The layers are bound together by heating them in an autoclave in a process called
lamination. Technically, the thicker the glass and the more layers it has, the more energy it can absorb and
the more protection it will give. The way bulletproof glass works is that first, the bullet will unequivocally
pierce through the first layer of material. However, the next layer, say polycarbonate plastic, will provide
much more resistance as it allows the glass to flex back and the bullet’s energy will be dissipated and spread
out radially through the layers upon impact, transferring the enormous kinetic energy inward into shattering
the outermost layers of the glass. This results in a “spider web” cracking pattern on the glass. If there is still
enough force being applied by the bullet, the bullet will pierce the next layers of glass-polycarbonate and this
process continues until either a layer halts the bullet, thereby preventing spalling (where dangerous shards of
glass or plastic splinter off following the impact of a bullet), or until the bullet emerges through the barrier –
with far, far less energy propelling it forward. At this point, even if the bullet pierces the bullet-resistant glass,
its velocity will be piped down significantly, protecting those on the other side. The momentum principle
holds true that the sum of forces is the rate of change of momentum. So, by decreasing the momentum, the
force will be reduced as well. Unfortunately, bullet-resistant glass is only effective against a few bullets at a
time. Eventually, the protective qualities will wear off. However, bulletproof glass is certainly more effective
than simple, unlaminated glass. It will be almost completely ineffective at reducing the momentum of the
bullet, and shards of glass can burst forward, potentially causing injury.
4
Figure 3.1: An illustration of how a bulletproof glass works.
The use of ballistic glass is appreciably growing as customer-facing businesses in all industries
worldwide are increasingly aware of the security threats they confront today. Moreover, it comes in various
shapes and sizes to provide different levels of protection in different situations. Places of application include,
but not limited to financial institutions, tribunal institutions, governmental institutions, stadiums and arenas,
lodging facilities, convenience stores, schools, and military, defense and security forces, where the protection
of a bullet-resistant material is needed without sacrificing the advantage of optical clarity as these precarious
public places are susceptible to armed threats. Thanks to this material, bank tellers can work behind thick
bulletproof windows and use bulletproof drawers to exchange money with customers safely. Today, bulletresistant glass is also utilized in schools in the United States. While schools should be a safe place for students
and teachers, numerous tragedies over the years have proven otherwise. In the wake of several gun violence
incidents that took place in the educational domains, school administrators have reinforced their security by
adding a layer of protection to potential areas such as guardhouses, and those in high-risk positions within the
school compounds with bulletproof glass enclosures and panes to protect themselves from unforeseen internal
threats as well as external threats. When events become unpredictable, bulletproof glass in police stations can
also provide the long arm of the law safety and security although they have long needed them. It is typically
installed in the lobby where the officers can screen and interact with visitors with a peace of mind.
A more recent development in bulletproof glass technology allows the glass to be tinted, making the
precise location and identification of persons behind the plate difficult to assess. Many limousines used by
VIPs use tinted bulletproof glass. Special permits are not required to purchase bullet-resistant glass; it is
completely legal to use as long as it does not hamper the interior visibility of an automobile through tinting.
5
4 | MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Generally, bulletproof glass is constructed by laminating multiple layers of standard glass that are
bonded with polyvinyl butyral, polyurethane, and ethylene-vinyl acetate with polycarbonate thermoplastic
sheets that are designed by several industry players under the generic trademarks like Armormax, Cyrolon,
Lexan, Makroclear, and Tuffak together. The intermingled layers of polycarbonate plastic and regular glass
are heated, cooled, and treated with a variety of chemical processes to strengthen it in a process known as
tempering.
While a few different kinds of resins may be used for bullet-resistant glass, solid acrylic, and
polycarbonate plastic are extremely popular choices. This is because both polycarbonate and solid acrylic are
extremely structurally sound with a high level of optical clarity. Solid acrylic bullet-resistant glass is designed
chiefly for commonplace conventional use. This type of bullet-resistant glass is a single 1.25 to 1.38-inch
thick sheet of acrylic that provides basic Level 1 protection, unlike the more sought-after polycarbonate
bulletproof glass which accounts for Levels 1, 2, and 3.
Table 4.1: Levels of resistance of a bulletproof material.
During the manufacturing process, abrasion-resistant coating is added to the polycarbonate
bulletproof glass. These coatings allow the glass to heal after being scratched and they are most often
elastomeric carbon-based polymers or harder protective coatings made from silicon-based polymers. The
index of refraction for both the laminated glass and polycarbonate thermoplastic sheets must be virtually equal
to keep the glass transparent and allow a clear, undistorted view through the glass.
6
Below are the properties of polycarbonate as embedded in the ballistic glass:
i.
Copolymer
a. A polymer composed of two or more different types of monomers.
ii.
Thermoplastic polymer
a. Softens, and becomes pliable and plastic.
b. Liquefies when heated and hardens when cooled.
c. Involves a reversible process or remelting may be repeated without significant degradation.
d. No new crosslinks are formed (no chemical curing) when it cools and hardens.
e. In the melted condition, it can be formed by employing various methods, e.g., injection
molding, extrusion, thermoforming, and blow molding.
f. Polycarbonate’s melting point is 155 ºC.
iii.
Synthetic polymer
a. A man-made, large molecule composed of repeating structural units in a long chain, derived
from petroleum oil.
iv.
Manifests a very high strength at elevated temperature.
a. 30 times stronger than acrylic, which is 17 times stronger than a sheet of glass of equal
thickness.
b. Tensile strength = 59 Mpa
Figure 4.1: Chart of the relative impact strength of polycarbonate (PC) among other thermoplastics.
v.
Manifests high toughness.
a. Maintains even as low as -20 ºC.
7
vi.
Soft and ductile (but may change to brittle due to DBT temperature).
a. Easy to machine.
vii.
Manifests high modulus of elasticity.
a. Has low elastic deformation.
viii.
Manifests low fatigue endurance.
ix.
Has excellent creep resistance.
x.
Specific gravity = 1.19
xi.
Optically transparent.
xii.
An amorphous material.
a. No long-range crystalline structure.
b. Its crystalline structure is more orderly in contrast to pure glass’, which is an amorphous
ceramic material.
xiii.
Density is unaffected by cooling rate.
xiv.
Has good heat resistance.
a. Manifests low coefficient of thermal expansion.
xv.
Has good electrical insulation property.
Below are the properties of laminated glass as embedded in the ballistic glass:
i.
Contains polyvinyl butyral (PVB).
a. Ductile.
b. Tough.
c. Tensile strength = ≥ 20 Mpa
d. Shear modulus = 0 – 4 Gpa
e. Poisson’s ratio = 0.45 – 0.49
8
f. Improves sound attenuation.
g. Capable of impeding most ultraviolet rays.
Figure 4.2: The disparities of effects of impacts between annealed glass, tempered glass, and
laminated glass.
Bulletproof glass can be affected by environmental factors such as UV radiation from the sun,
temperature and exposure to certain solvents. As a case in point, below zero temperatures can sometimes
engender spalls – small pieces that break off the polycarbonate. Polycarbonate can be affected by UV radiation
as well. Nevertheless, as long as it is under a layer of glass, it will be protected and not suffer consequences
from exposure.
5 | TEST METHODOLOGIES AND TECHNIQUES
As the name itself suggests, bulletproof glass is incontrovertibly tested by firing a projectile, usually
a gun, from a predetermined distance toward the surface of the material. Such test is indispensable to safety
and security solutions providers as well as other glass products manufacturers to ensure quality and efficacy.
Image 5.1: An employee of Texas Armoring Corporation gives their bulletproof windshield a test by
firing an AK-47 at his boss who is ‘taking cover’ behind the glass.
9
During the gun firing test, the depth of the penetration is closely observed, measured, and correlated
with the projectile’s velocity and shape. In other tests to ascertain the viability of bulletproof glass as a lifeline
in risky areas, the Solid Mechanics Department of Faculty of Engineering, Lund University in Sweden had
executed experimental tests to determine the mechanical properties of various interlayers of laminated glass
alone through uniaxial tensile tests with varying loading rates. Six polyvinyl butyral (PVB)-interlayers with
different properties were taken as specimens for the tests. The experiment was done at five different loading
rates in order to pay attention to the time dependence of the mechanical properties and to different loading
situations. The performed loading rates were 200 mm/min, 50 mm/min, 10 mm/min, 2 mm/min, and 0.5
mm/min. The specimens were cut out of the interlayer sheets to the dimensions 120 mm x 20 mm and they
were marked 30 mm from both ends to easily obtain the distance 60 mm in the testing machine. Every
specimen was also marked with the type of interlayer and load rate. The thickness was measured to be applied
later in calculations.
Image 5.2: Dimensions of specimens.
Table 5.1: Thickness of the interlayers of laminated glass.
(According to the producer)
(Measured)
[mm]
[mm]
Standard (PVB_.38)
0.38
0.43
Standard (PVB_.76)
0.76
0.80
0.76
0.81
1.27
1.29
0.68
0.68
0.76
0.81
PVB Interlayer
With enhanced acoustic
properties (PVB_.76Ac)
Saflex H, Storm Interlayer
(DMJ1)
Vanceva Storm (PVB / pet film /
PVB composite) (VS02)
Saflex DG Interlayer (plasticized
polyvinyl butyral) (DG41)
The uniaxial tensile tests were performed in an Instron testing machine with a 5000 N load cell. A
thermometer was located close to the lower clamp to measure the temperature. The specimens were loaded in
10
tensile stress until rupture. The rupture was almost always located close to one of the clamps due to the high
stress concentrations there. The data measured was force and time and they were retrieved with the program
LabVIEW.
Table 5.2: Number of performed tests for each type of interlayer.
Load rate [mm/min]
Number of tests for every kind of interlayer
200
5
50
5
10
3
2
1
0.5
1
Stress-strain diagrams can be produced through several approaches. The stress and strains can be
calculated either as true stress/strain or engineering stress/strain. True stress and true strain are based upon
instantaneous values of cross-sectional area and gage length. Engineering stress and strain are the more simple
approach to acquire a stress-strain curve and they are adopted in this experiment. The formula for engineering
stress, in the unit pascal (Pa) is the internal loading or force experienced across a cross-section per unit area
of that cross-section, whereas the formula for engineering strain is the ratio of the difference in axial length to
the original axial length. For the tests where five or three trials were made, mean value curves were plotted.
It is evident that the mechanical
ehaviour for all interlayers is time dependent, since the mechanical
properties were dependent on the velocity. For all six interlayers, it can be seen that with a decreasing loading
rate, smaller stresses develop. Since the stress-strain diagrams are dependent on the loading rate, a conclusion
can be inferred that the interlayers are time dependent. The thickness seems to have no influence on the
mechanical properties for the standard PVB with the thicknesses 0.38 mm and 0.76 mm, inasmuch as their
stress-strain diagrams bear similarity. The PVB with enhanced acoustic properties is less stiff than the standard
PVB. The storm interlayer (termed this way to indicate that these interlayers are appropriate in laminated glass
in areas with risk of hurricanes, typhoons, and violent storms) DMJ1 have similar stress-strain diagram as the
standard PVB and PVB acoustic, albeit being slightly stiffer. The interlayer DG41 and the other storm
interlayer, VS02, shows a more stiff
ehaviour, where stresses of the order 0 – 15 Mpa are developed, in
comparison to 0 – 2 Mpa for PVB_.38, PVB_.76, PVB_.76Ac, and DMJ1.
Therefore, based on the results of these uniaxial tensile tests, it goes without saying that material
selection of the interlayers of laminated glass per se is also critical in determining the ultimate efficacy of the
bullet-resistant glass.
11
Figure 5.1: Stress-strain curves for load rates 200 mm/min, 50 mm/min, and 10 mm/min which are
conducted for five or three trials using each type of interlayer.
6 | ADOPTION AND INCORPORATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE BULLETPROOF
GLASS INDUSTRY
There is no tremendous flaw, but bullet-resistant materials still need to be progressively tested and
improved as time elapses and so long as technology keeps pacing on a paradigm shift. The bulletproof
technology has come a long way in many industries since the early 20th century and it’s not any flash-in-thepan sort of technology in that it still works wonders to mankind in its fundamental functionality hitherto. For
this reason, countless initiatives can be done to enhance its properties, like higher durability with less physical
mass. This is the next cutting-edge revolution we are heading for, given bulletproof windshields’ impact
resistance capability is contradictory to its mass. This is when nanoscience comes into play; the study of the
application of things that scale between 1 and 100 nanometers.
12
The bulletproof vests worn by law enforcement officers and military personnel use Kevlar, Twaron,
or Dyneema fibers, which stop bullets from penetrating the surface of the targets by spreading and absorbing
the impact of the bullet’s force. These anti-ballistic materials are a significant step forward, but often still
result in the target suffering from blunt force trauma, severe bruising or damage to vital organs. This is because
the force from the bullet reaches the wearer even when the bullet itself is stopped. Nanotechnology is currently
being tested as an effective means of enhancing traditional bullet-resistant materials, like Kevlar, and possibly
in bulletproof glass to boot. Scientists and engineers have discovered that introducing nano-scale carbon tubes
into Kevlar materials is one way to bolster its ability to prevent blunt force trauma from projectiles.
Researchers from Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA have demonstrated that firing microscopic
projectiles at multilayer graphene sheets provides a measure of difficulty for penetration of graphene on the
nanoscale. Using high-speed cameras, the team was able to capture detailed images of the projectiles
penetrating sheets and determined that graphene acts like a stretchy membrane, distributing the bullets’ energy
over a large area. Research has often focused on graphene’s electronic properties and tensile strength, but this
new finding shows graphene’s ability to be stiff, strong, and elastic simultaneously.
Image 6.1: A micro bullet traveling at supersonic speed is captured in this composite of three timed images,
as it makes its way toward a suspended sheet of multilayer graphene. The bubble at left is a polymer film
expanding away from the gold substrate that transfers energy from a laser to the micro bullet.
In addition, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst devised a ballistics test that
tested graphene nanotubes against superheated vaporized laser pulses, which acted like gunpowder to fire a
micron-sized glass bullet into 10 to 100 sheets of graphene at 3 kilometers per second, about three times the
speed of a bullet fired from an M16 rifle. The result of these tests showed that the graphene nanotubes absorbed
the impact by stretching into a cone shape at the point of the bullet's strike, then cracking outward. These
13
cracks are perceived to be the material’s main weakness; despite this, the material still performed better than
Kevlar and absorbed 10 times the kinetic energy achievable with steel. Assembling multiple layers of the
graphene material or combining them into a composite material is expected to solve this problem.
What’s more, a team of researchers from the University of Wollongong has succeeded in developing
a new graphene composite material that is stronger than spider silk and Kevlar. Finding the optimal ratio of
graphene to carbon nanotubes is a key factor in the development of bulletproof composites. The new graphene
composite can be fabricated easily using a wet-spinning method, producing fibers with potential applications
in bulletproof armor and reinforcement materials.
Apart from that, carbon nanotubes have also been used extensively in the pursuit of nano-bulletproof
materials. With a beehive-shaped structure and cylindrical nature, these nanotubes have exhibited incredible
strength. They are capped at each end and linked together with covalent bonds to produce nanofibers hundreds
of times stronger than steel. The bonds themselves are stronger than those found in diamonds, the hardest
element known to man.
Figure 6.1: The molecular dynamics model of a carbon nanotube subjected to ballistic impact.
The resulting carbon nanotubes are light, flexible, strong, and thermally-stable. In a bulletproof vest,
millions of these nanotubes come together to form carbon nanofibers which are woven together to create
lightweight material. The resulting carbon nanofibers are extremely efficient at absorbing energy, making
them ideal for bulletproof armor.
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7 | CONCLUSION
As a rundown, this research paperwork is predominantly aimed at understanding a special type of glass
material, which is bulletproof glass, through some online research about how it is made, how it works, what
characteristics does it possess, and where it is used. And naturally, the extensive work that I have invested
absolutely pays off as I dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s by leveraging all my prior knowledge in materials
science that I have. As far as the outcome of this research work is concerned, I postulate that while manmade
inventions like guns and bullets can kill people, there are always solutions to problems, thanks to the inspiring
pioneers who worked night and day to devise a preventive medium from getting us killed by superspeed
projectiles. We are well informed that safety and security are one of the major aspects we must not make light
of every passing day. Numerous stakeholders from various industries are now taking advantage of simple
materials namely glass and polycarbonate plastic and some basic working principle to produce safety ballistic
glass that could save innocent lives. In making this type of glass, many factors have to be taken into account
by understanding each component material’s mechanical properties to better suit customers’ needs and
purposes economically because it’s not a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. Since polycarbonate is very strong,
and it does not shatter like normal glass does, it is an excellent candidate for bulletproofing. Despite receiving
continuous demands, there are inarguably shortcomings in constructing the bullet-resistant glass, including
making it as transparent and clear as regular glass while still ensuring that its protective qualities are effective,
and minimizing its mass while reinforcing its impact resistance capability. While cost is another story, the
weight and light transmission are important to note for design and practical reason – for example, a vehicle
being used to protect its passengers must meet local requirements for window tinting, and should be light
enough to not impede the movement of the vehicle. For these reasons, it is very common to select bulletresistant glass that serves the most practical level of protection possible, instead of the maximum level of
protection. This is when latest discoveries on nanotechnology play their roles. Researchers have taken it to the
next level by experimenting on nanoscale graphene in hope of mitigating the shortcomings. The primary
concern with graphene nanotechnology thus far has been creating adequate tests of the materials prior to field
testing. However, current tests provide little reliable evidence of the material's strength when used to defend
against high-speed projectiles. Be that as it may, technology is everchanging and the processes involved
surrounding bulletproof technology doesn’t just stay stagnant there. Hopefully, I would someday become the
next pioneer to introduce a new far-ranging safety and security solution that will be constructive to the society
at large and not merely limited to staying safe behind panels of glass.
15
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•
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•
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•
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