American scientists discovered another fantastic property of graphene: two sheets of material superimposed on each other, acquire the hardness of a diamond and can withstand a shot from a firearm.
We used to think that bullet-proof armor is something heavy and massive, at least in comparison with ordinary clothes. Often this is indeed the case: protection, can, and protect you from death in case of hitting, but it hampers mobility – and it can be of great importance in a shootout. However, scientists from the University of New York found that the excellent armor can be practically weightless: it’s all about graphene, which continues to amaze physicists around the world with their amazing properties.
The researchers found that two layers of graphene, stacked on top of each other, can temporarily acquire the hardness of the diamond and literally stop the flying bullet. According to a study published in Nature Nanotechnology, the hardening of a new material called diamine occurs only when exactly two sheets of graphene overlap. It is noteworthy that if the number of layers is increased, then curing does not occur at all.
“During the tests of graphite or monolayer graphene, these materials were not very strong and were rather soft. To our surprise, exactly two layers of graphene under pressure suddenly become fantastically solid, not yielding to a bulk diamond, “says Eliza Rideau, a physics professor at ASRC and a leading researcher of the project.
