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DEFLEXION Apparel For Superheroes
DEFLEXION shock absorbing material is a Dow Corning product that
provides would-be superheroes (and athletes) with a variety of protection textiles. When Dow Corning® S7-005 is impacted the impact energy is dissipated across the surface away from the point of contact thus reducing the forces transmitted through to the body. Depending on the number of layers the force can be spread over two or three times the normal surface area. This is a known feature of certain silicone polymers due to their polymeric architecture.
Dow Corning S7-005:
Dow Corning S5-004:
(Deflexion rendered on back of superhero)
It can be stylishly incorporated into a garment such as a base layer shirt, it can be designed to create protective equipment, like a soccer shin guard, or it can be incorporated into protective cases for delicate equipment. Because this high performance fabric is flexible, it can be cut and sewn directly into clothing, eliminating the need to insert uncomfortable padding. It can be layered, so garments can be customized with increased levels of protection for specific areas. Further, our sports textiles are much less bulky than hard armor, allowing for more fashionable and comfortable designs that still provide the needed protection. These protective textiles provide the comfort that users want – premium fit, freedom of movement, heat minimization, and washability.
Dow Corning is also trying to position DEFLEXION as a good choice for the protection of laptops and other electronic devices.
Science fiction fans recall the impact suit from the 1971 David Gerrold / Larry Niven novel The Flying Sorcerors; it apparently derives from Neutron Star, a 1966 short story of Niven's:
He [Nessus the puppeteer] went up a rise, moving slowly, though his feet wanted to dance. He was weaponless, but his suit was a kind of defense. No projectile short of a fast meteorite could harm him. Like a silicone plastic, the pressure suit was soft and malleable under gentle pressures, such as walking, but instantly became rigid all over when something struck it...
(Read more about Niven's flexible armor suit)
Read more at Dow Corning DEFLEXION website; thanks to an anonymous reader for writing in.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/20/2010)
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