Metallic Foams Annihilate Bullets, Block Radiation

D-brief
By Nathaniel Scharping
Apr 7, 2016 1:23 AMNov 19, 2019 8:43 PM
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Afsaneh Rabiei checks on metallic foam created in her lab. (Credit: Rabiei/North Carolina State University) The word foam doesn't necessarily convey strength, but seeing a bullet explode upon impact with composite metal foam certainly does. Researchers at North Carolina State University created a bubble-filled metal composite that combines the strength of steel with the airiness and heat-resistant properties of foam. In tests with armor-piercing bullets, a one-inch layer of the material stopped the projectile in its tracks while allowing only an 8-millimeter indentation on the other side. Afsaneh Rabiei, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University, claims her version of metallic foam is the strongest yet.

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