One subject that comes up on forums regularly is "drive belts". Those who have been using OPE for awhile, know that all belts are not created equal. One of the man-made fibers that has been proven to increase the lifespan of drive belts is Kevlar. Kevlar is so strong and so lightweight that is also used for "body armor", as in bullet-resistant vests worn by military and police. I just got a bulletin today that shows mankind's ongoing search for things that are better. Here it is.
Will Super-tough Nanofiber Replace Kevlar?
Seeking to create a new generation of super tough fibers, researchers at Northwestern University have come up with a fiber so strong it could knock out the reigning champ, Kevlar. Taking tiny carbon nanotubes and adding a polymer via a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) reactor binds them together. The team then spun the resulting material together into yarns, creating a fiber that is remarkably tough, strong, and failure-resistant. The new fiber is initially aimed at defense and aerospace applications, including bulletproof vests, composite materials, and parachutes. The researchers hope to make the fiber stronger by refining the interactions between carbon nanotube bundles.
Learn more about nanomaterials and nanotechnology products…
Once the initial target applications have been satisfied, the cost to produce this new fiber will likely come down dramatically and if this pans out the way they think it will, we may be seeing drive belts that are constructed from this yet-unnamed fiber. Amazing.
Will Super-tough Nanofiber Replace Kevlar?
Seeking to create a new generation of super tough fibers, researchers at Northwestern University have come up with a fiber so strong it could knock out the reigning champ, Kevlar. Taking tiny carbon nanotubes and adding a polymer via a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) reactor binds them together. The team then spun the resulting material together into yarns, creating a fiber that is remarkably tough, strong, and failure-resistant. The new fiber is initially aimed at defense and aerospace applications, including bulletproof vests, composite materials, and parachutes. The researchers hope to make the fiber stronger by refining the interactions between carbon nanotube bundles.
Learn more about nanomaterials and nanotechnology products…
Once the initial target applications have been satisfied, the cost to produce this new fiber will likely come down dramatically and if this pans out the way they think it will, we may be seeing drive belts that are constructed from this yet-unnamed fiber. Amazing.
