Taking a cue from nature to create bulletproof coatings

摘要

Shrimp, lobsters and mushrooms may not seem like great tools for the battlefield but three engineers from the University of Houston are using chitin -a derivative of glucose found in the cellular walls of arthropods and fungi - and 3D printing techniques to produce high-impact multilayered coatings that can protect soldiers against bullets, lasers, toxic gas and other dangers. Although corn is better known as a sustainable, bio-based material, chitin offers promise as a commonly available material that could be processed and used in some products that now require petroleum-based plastics, said Alamgir Karim, Dow Chair Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.