Protection

Carbon nanotubes have found use in everything from smart bandages to more efficient solar cells. Now, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have used them in a helmet lining foam that offers better impact protection than regular foams.

Inspired by seashells, scientists at Sandia National Labs have engineered a versatile new material that’s incredibly inexpensive, strong, lightweight, and heat resistant. The material could find use in shielding for spacecraft or fusion facilities.

Industrial piping has a hard life, as it's constantly exposed to liquids that can damage its inner surface over time. A new polymer coating could help protect such pipes, while removing toxic metals from the liquids as it does so.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a new shock-absorbing material that is super lightweight, yet offers the protection of metal. The stuff could make for helmets, armor and vehicle parts that are lighter, stronger and reusable.

Currently, when we're heading outside on a sunny day, we apply sunscreen to limit UV damage to our skin. Thanks to new research, however, we may soon apply a different sort of lotion to avoid frostbite on cold days.

Imagine if there was protective clothing that usually stayed soft and comfortable, but that could instantly harden when needed. Such technology may someday be possible, thanks to a new understanding of a tiny animal's shell.

DARPA has awarded contracts to FLIR Systems, Leidos, and Charles River Analytics to develop new kit to protect soldiers and responders against chemical and biological (CB) threats using lighter, more comfortable and more versatile suits.

A new flow visualization study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) starkly demonstrates why face masks with exhalation valves are not effective for slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Researchers claim they've come up with the world's first manufactured non-cuttable material, just 15 percent the density of steel and impervious to drills or angle grinders. They say it could make for indestructible bike locks and lightweight armor.

Chitin derived from shrimps, mushrooms, and other organisms may lead to new 3D-printed, multi-layered polymer coatings to protect soldiers against bullets, lasers, toxic gases, microbes, and other hazards.

Although seawalls certainly do protect coastal communities from storm surge waves, those walls can be unsightly, and restrict access to the water. A proposed new system gets around those problems, by doubling as a canopy when not serving storm duty.

In China right now, you'll see many people wearing surgical masks to protect against coronavirus. A scientist claims that such masks may actually do more harm than good, if handled improperly – so he's created a coating that could change that.