Non-newtonian fluids
I’ve got several old links that I want to talk about, and I mean several, so I apologize for any deluge of posts coming forward in the recent days. My workspace (computer and real life) is far too cluttered, so I hope this’ll help a bit.
First bit, Non-Newtonian fluids. These are liquids, for the most part, but with solid particles suspended in them. When rapid pressure is exerted on them they solidify somewhat. I believe it’s the same principle applied in new liquid armor technologies being developed.
The key component of liquid armor is a shear thickening fluid. STF is composed of hard particles suspended in a liquid. The liquid, polyethylene glycol, is non-toxic, and can withstand a wide range of temperatures. Hard, nano-particles of silica are the other components of STF. This combination of flowable and hard components results in a material with unusual properties.“During normal handling, the STF is very deformable and flows like a liquid. However, once a bullet or frag hits the vest, it transitions to a rigid material, which prevents the projectile from penetrating the Soldier’s body,” said Dr. Eric Wetzel, a mechanical engineer from the Weapons and Materials Research Directorate who heads the project team.
Anyway, the main reason I wanted to post this was just to share some of the videos of the fluid in action. The liquid in these videos is basically water and corn starch mixed together. They’ve got all sorts of weird properties, especially when subject to vibrations.
The following is from a TV show, from Spain:
The following videos demonstrate what happens when you vibrate the non-newtownian fluid.
Even more videos through this link.
