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NEW ZEALAND: Lincoln scientists develop vest using knitted Vectran

WELLINGTON: Scientists at New Zealand's Lincoln Research Centre in Christchurch have developed the vest using a base of knitted Vectran, an ultra-high-strength fibre spun from liquid crystal polymer. Lincoln believes there could be great demand for such a vest, which is being marketed as "a new stab and fire-resistant fabric developed to protect the wearer in the changing hostile world we live in".

It's a novel twist to use Vectran, which has many and varied uses, in such a garment. It is usually associated with more industrial uses — forming, for example, one of the layers in an astronaut's spacesuit. It is used in blimps and high-altitude airships, sailcloth, even the landing airbags in NASA's Mars probes.

Vectran's excellent flexibility and ability to fold make it a popular choice in the rubber reinforcement industry, including household items such as garden hoses. Vectran exhibits exceptional strength and rigidity. Kilogram for kilogram, Vectran fibre is five times stronger than steel and 10 times stronger than aluminium.

Scientists at Lincoln weaved Kiwi wool fibre into the Vectran base, resulting in a material that was not only super-strong, but flame-resistant, presentable and comfortable.

"I had a very good friend who was working in Goulburn jail and he knew I was a textile scientist and he said they had a problem with inmates sharpening plastic toothbrushes and attacking some of the wardens," said Dr McFarlane. "He said, 'Surely to heaven you could have a fabric that could resist puncture penetration'. So we made some fabric."

Dr McFarlane said research started about eight months ago. "The wool fibres make the fabric look and feel very much like a sports jacket coating," he said. "However, the base of the fabric is a Vectran-knitted base, which is resistant to cutting and has a melting point of something like 400 degrees."

Vectran was "extremely strong" — "weight for weight, it's about the strength of steel wire", and was developed originally in the United States, he said.

Dr McFarlane said the vest was not needle proof or bulletproof, but could withstand "shrapnel or low ballistic penetration". The vest is also fire-resistant. When exposed to great heat, the wool will "char into carbon … this carbon then forms a protective barrier against further heat".

The US military was among those that had expressed interest, Dr McFarlane said.

Source: Agencies • News Courtesy: BharatTextile.com