Bullet Proof Vests – How can they protect lives?

A Bulletproof vest is a protector vest that can protect a part of the human body such as chest, stomach, and back from any projectile bullets or grenade explosion flakes. In general, this bullet proof vest also known as the ballistic vest is commonly used by military personnel to protect their bodies when they are in wars.

How does a ballistic vest work?

The bullet proof vest works by reducing as much as possible the kinetic energy that hits the vest and the fiber layers will work and absorb the kinetic energy and then break the bullet on the vest plate so the bullet cannot penetrate the strong material used in the vest. If you want to be protected from grenade flakes or bullet, then you are recommended to wear this ballistic vest for safety.

The Types of Bullet Proof Vest

There are two types of Concealable vests, they are Soft body armor and Hard body armor.

• Soft Body Armor

Soft body armor is a kind of ballistic vest that is made of aramid fiber. One Kevlar layer has a is less than 1 mm thick, and generally the vest standard consists of 32 layers and has weight approximately 10 kg. This concealable vest tends to be lightweight so it can be used for undercover job or a safety for intelligence personnel.

• Hard Body Armor

By adding some certain layers in Soft body armor, then the bullet proof vest can be hard body armor. In general, this layer is made of ceramic Al2O3 Alumina, a metal plaque or composite. This is usually used in level IIIA ballistic vest according to NIJ (National Institute of Justice). It provides additional protection because it is made of a very strong material that cannot be hit by a sharp bullet. The shape is quite thick and it has uncomfortable weight, so it is usually not used for daily duties, but it may be used when dealing with a special duty that has a high risk such as military operation or SWAT team operation that must wear hard body armor.

The Material Used in Ballistic Vest

The material used to build a concealable vest is always developed and there are some materials that are used to make a bullet proof vest.

• Kevlar Material

Aramid (Kevlar) is commonly used in the hard body armor for military usage. This material was first used by Stephanie Kwolek decades ago. He was an American chemist who worked as a researcher in DuPont Company. Aramid is also known as aromatic polyamide that has a strong and tough structure as well as can resist heat up to 370 degree Celsius, so it will not be burned easily. Most of the people know Aramid as Kevlar that is quite lightweight but it is 5 times stronger than iron.

• Spider Silk

This spider silk consists of protein molecule that cannot only resist an extreme burden, but it also has a high elasticity. However, this material does not belong to the best and strongest material used in its class despite it is also used in some bullet proof vest products.

• Carbon Nanotube

A carbon nanotube is also the next material that was found in 1991 in Japan. CNT is a made of carbon that has a very tiny shape and it is known to be stronger than the spider silk. Some of the ballistic vests may be designed using Carbon Nanotube. However, you will find that Kevlar is the most popular material to make ballistic vests.

In summary, bullet proof vest is really an important thing when you are in charge and dealing with any bad guys who are ready to shoot you. By wearing a ballistic vest, when you get shot, the bullet will not penetrate to your body but sometimes it may only cause bruised and you will not die.