| Over the years, many improvements have been | | | | from harder metals. This means that Kevlar vests |
| made in military and police garments to increase | | | | are stretched to capacity and sometimes even |
| safety and create bullet proof body armor that is | | | | penetrated completely by these forceful weapons. |
| both comfortable and protective. However, in the | | | | The only answer with this material is to thicken |
| past, being safe has meant a certain amount of | | | | the layers of weave, which make the material |
| bulk and discomfort, as well as added weight and | | | | even bulkier, heavier, and less flexible. |
| mass for soldiers and officers facing combat on | | | | Spectra is a completely different technology. The |
| the battle fields and in urban wars. The use of | | | | material is about 40% lighter than Kevlar, making |
| Kevlar, a registered trademark of DuPont, has | | | | it more comfortable from the start. On top of |
| made body armor lighter and easier to work with, | | | | that, it is not a woven structure, meaning that |
| but flexibility has still been a problem. Today, there | | | | several layers are not necessary, further reducing |
| is a new substance in use called Spectra, a | | | | weight and bulk. At the same time, Spectra is ten |
| composite material that is stronger, lighter, and | | | | times stronger than steel. So, what is this |
| more flexible than Kevlar, which is changing the | | | | substance actually made out of that makes it |
| face of bullet proof wear for our troops and | | | | compete with Superman for the title of strongest |
| police forces. What are the major differences | | | | bullet proof material? The definition states that |
| between Kevlar and Spectra, and what are the | | | | Spectra is a "thin, flexible ballistic composite made |
| big advantages of the latter? | | | | from layers of unidirectional fibers held in place by |
| Let's first examine the structure of each of the | | | | flexible resins". These layers are then sealed |
| two materials. Kevlar is a high strength, high | | | | between two thin sheets of polyethylene film |
| performance fiber that, despite its many years of | | | | (think plastic wrap on your leftovers). Therefore, |
| use in bullet proof clothing, is still not entirely | | | | all materials used are light weight and extremely |
| understood. The best description of how it is | | | | flexible, making movement and wearability more |
| believed to function is that the molecules form | | | | realistic for users. At the same time, it disperses |
| into sheets that then stack themselves around | | | | the energy of a bullet much faster across a wider |
| the center of a fiber like spokes. The idea behind | | | | area and with greater efficiency, providing much |
| using this as a bullet proof material was to stack | | | | more reliable protection against the higher velocity |
| several layers of the material together in a | | | | bullets used in combat and street crimes today. |
| weave pattern. The weaving would then "catch" | | | | So far in testing, the performance of Spectra |
| the bullet by allowing the fibers to break apart | | | | seems to be unaffected by chemicals and |
| layer by layer and absorb the velocity, slowing the | | | | moisture. |
| bullet to a stop as it also dulled and flattened from | | | | What you may not realize is that these materials |
| striking the material. However, this was mostly | | | | are also used in everyday materials that civilians |
| effective when bullets were slower and had less | | | | work with constantly. For instance, many tires |
| total velocity, making them easier to stop. Now, | | | | today employ Kevlar in their structural makeup to |
| our troops and law enforcement officials face | | | | add a modicum of indestructibility to the material. |
| much more technically advanced weaponry with | | | | Spectra has been used to a lesser degree in |
| bullets flying at higher speeds and constructed | | | | items such as "carry-all" shopping bags. |