Need Modern Material for Tough, Flexible Armor

[A. E. Lowan]

I'm running into a research block because I don't know the right words for this. I'm looking for a real-world material that's like heavy boiled leather, but tougher. Money is no object. I'm not feeling steel for this, though of course it's not entirely off the table. This is the inspiration pic. I want to put three young wizards in this and put them in a gladiatorial tournament.

 

[pmmg]

Plastic and kevlar dont work?

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Plastic feels kind of cheap, but Kevlar's a possibility.

 

[pmmg]

Rawhide?

Transparent aluminum?

Vibrainium. Works for marvel.

 

[pmmg]

Boron carbide.

Resin composite.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Rawhide?

Transparent aluminum?

Vibrainium. Works for marvel.

*laughs in Federation*

 

[A. E. Lowan]

What's that new nano-fabric or whatever? The bulletproof stuff?

 

[pmmg]

I think that is just nanofiber.

 

[Finchbearer]

Is this for real life? I don’t think you can really beat leather, for its flexibility and durability. You’d said money is no object, but with that many pieces to put together that is a lot of money’s worth right there!

Bulletproof fabric will almost certainly be more expensive than leather.

 

[Finchbearer]

Home

Cordura fabric gets used for a lots of outdoor clothing including bushcraft / gardening / foresting trousers, which have to stand up to thorny bush whacking and such. Should be scratch proof.

 

[CupofJoe]

What weapons are they up against? It won't [or probably wont] be the same armour against bullets and blades...
That said if money is no object, then layers of thixotropic gels on a kevlar base.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Carbon nanotubes seems to be the answer to most modern wonder material questions I think. Light, flexible, strong, since it conducts both heat and electricity really well, you could also claim that it does so with magical energy (I'm assuming magic will be involved at some point give that you have wizards).

You could go SciFi, and create Germanium Nanotubes (2 down in the periodic table from carbon), and grant them some amazing properties like carbon nanotubes but better.

Alternatively, since we're talking a magical world, you could also go the more mysterious, ancient feeling direction and go with something like spider silk. Or techno-babble a combination of spider silk with either kevlar or carbon nanotubes for a mix of both magical and technological.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

What weapons are they up against? It won't [or probably wont] be the same armour against bullets and blades...
That said if money is no object, then layers of thixotropic gels on a kevlar base.

Probably no bullets. They're fighting in a ring surrounded by fans in stadium seating surrounding them. Thixotropic gel sounds like something worth investigating. <3

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Is this for real life? I don’t think you can really beat leather, for its flexibility and durability. You’d said money is no object, but with that many pieces to put together that is a lot of money’s worth right there!

Bulletproof fabric will almost certainly be more expensive than leather.

No, unless you have wizards in your guest room - I don't, dammit - then I think we're firmly planted in Fantasy. But we're talking about Urban Fantasy, so real-world materials are on the table along with fantasy materials, but I'm feeling real world for these armor sets. It's just cooler, I think, and we tend to lean a bit hard on the Rule of Cool.

 

[Azul-din]

What's that new nano-fabric or whatever? The bulletproof stuff?

kevlar? How about a form of chitin from REALLY big alien insect?

 

[A. E. Lowan]

kevlar? How about a form of chitin from REALLY big alien insect?

We've used chitin and it was very cool. We put it on a demon commander and loved it. I'm not sure our wizards would have access to demon armor, though, so I probably need to pass. May use it for their opponents, though. That would be awesome. Thanks!

 

[A. E. Lowan]

Carbon nanotubes seems to be the answer to most modern wonder material questions I think. Light, flexible, strong, since it conducts both heat and electricity really well, you could also claim that it does so with magical energy (I'm assuming magic will be involved at some point give that you have wizards).

You could go SciFi, and create Germanium Nanotubes (2 down in the periodic table from carbon), and grant them some amazing properties like carbon nanotubes but better.

Alternatively, since we're talking a magical world, you could also go the more mysterious, ancient feeling direction and go with something like spider silk. Or techno-babble a combination of spider silk with either kevlar or carbon nanotubes for a mix of both magical and technological.

Oooh. This is doable in our story world. We could stick with carbon nanotubes as a component in the armor and have fun with suspended disbelief for the thin bodysuit they're wearing from ankles to neck. It's a combination gambeson/barrier to knives and bullets. The armor is also enchanted with protection wards and whatnot. Thank you so much!

 

[Mad Swede]

OK. Kevlar is in fact a woven material made of aramid fibres and so isn't completely impervious to knives, especially not something like a poinard. However, if you impermeate the aramid fibres with a thermoplastic ionomer resin and then wet the resulting fibre weave with silica nano-particles in a solution of polyethylene glycol you get a weave which is highly resistant to knives and spikes. If you layer this weave with ordinary kevlar you get what's called a hybrid body armour which protects against both bullets and blades. Note that whilst this sort of body armour is very effective, it is fairly heavy (9-12kg) and isn't as flexible as ordinary cloth.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

OK. Kevlar is in fact a woven material made of aramid fibres and so isn't completely impervious to knives, especially not something like a poinard. However, if you impermeate the aramid fibres with a thermoplastic ionomer resin and then wet the resulting fibre weave with silica nano-particles in a solution of polyethylene glycol you get a weave which is highly resistant to knives and spikes. If you layer this weave with ordinary kevlar you get what's called a hybrid body armour which protects against both bullets and blades. Note that whilst this sort of body armour is very effective, it is fairly heavy (9-12kg) and isn't as flexible as ordinary cloth.

These three are all young guys, in the neighborhood of 28, and they're pretty physical, so heavy shouldn't be an issue. I'm good with it being inflexible. I'm putting the guys in bodysuits, too, to protect the weak spots in their armor. Do you think that hybrid armor would be as stiff as in the inspiration pic?

 

[Mad Swede]

These three are all young guys, in the neighborhood of 28, and they're pretty physical, so heavy shouldn't be an issue. I'm good with it being inflexible. I'm putting the guys in bodysuits, too, to protect the weak spots in their armor. Do you think that hybrid armor would be as stiff as in the inspiration pic?

Yes, kevlar body armour is fairly inflexible. This is why we usually have plates made of kevlar inserted into a sort of vest which we then wear. (I say we, I'm thinking like the soldier I used to be.) Nothing stops you have a series of hybrid armour plates formed into a sort of scale mail like you've got into the picture. It would be heavy (maybe 15-20kg). But weight is relative, I used to run around carrying 15kg of kevlar body armour, a gun and ammo weighing 10-12kg and another 45kg of kit. If you're fit enough the weight won't be an issue unless you're getting really physical for long periods of time.