Amendment II Release RynoHide: The World's First Carbon Nanotube Armor for Bulletproof Vests

Engineerblogger
April 27, 2012




In 2011, Amendment II partnered with the University of Utah's Nano Institute in order to develop the implementation of carbon nanotubes (CNT's) into body armor applications. The result was RynoHide, an unprecedented lightweight and flexible ballistic compound.

Nanotechnology begins at the molecular level. A single carbon nanotube is 1:100,000 the thickness of a sheet of newspaper and five times stronger than steel. RynoHide harnesses the power of carbon nanotechnology in conjunction with traditional soft body armor components.

RynoHide makes flexible armor stronger.

Traditional armor is designed to stop projectiles moving thousands of feet per second from penetration and back-face deformation. Back-face deformation is the bulge that occurs in the back of the armor from a projectile hitting the front without passing completely though. Traditional armor is designed to minimize these threats by using 20 to 30 layers of a high tensile strength synthetic aramid, such as Kevlar.

The acceptable back-face deformation limit for body armor, as set by the National Institute of Justice, is 44mm, or nearly two inches. RynoHide helps body armor achieve a back-face deformation level in the low 30's, without increasing the weight of the armor.

Less back-face deformation means less hurt on the body.

"That's a huge advantage for the user of the armor if they get hit," says R.G. Craig, President of Amendment II. "It could be the difference between a stay in the hospital or simply going home at the end of the day to your family." Such protection is achieved without compromise in comfort and convenience.

Amendment II is the exclusive developer of CNT enchanted protective body armor. This innovative approach to ballistic resistant compound production is accomplished through an intricate and highly technical manufacturing process. CNT's are applied to RynoHide elements at the thread level. Nanotechnology has been used in other industries such as computer research, and telecommunications, but nothing like this has ever taken place in the protective armor field.

RynoHide has already been used successfully as a compound of lightweight armor systems, military and law enforcement uniforms, vehicle armor, and in structural applications. The potential usage that RynoHide has to offer in many more applications is extensive.

Source: P R Web