U.S. Army Research Laboratory seeking partners for liquid composite

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Aug 9, 2004 by Sofia Kosmetatos

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory is seeking commercial partners for a liquid composite substance dubbed liquid armor that might present an alternative to heavy ceramic body armor.

The fluid is composed of hard particles suspended in a non-toxic liquid that dries when it is applied to fabric. The fabric remains flexible but hardens upon intense impact.

When combined with four layers of Kevlar fabric, the patent- pending substance, known as shear thickening fluid, proved resistant to stabbing, according to researchers at Aberdeen Proving Ground and the University of Delaware. The Army teamed up with the university about two years ago to advance research that began nearly two decades ago.

Politicians, Department of Defense officials and company representatives got to see how it works at TechTrends 2004, a research and development conference in Pittsburgh last week. The four- day event was hosted by SMART, Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow, a consortium that works to attract federal money for research and development and high-tech jobs to Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Hundreds of people tried to pierce a treated piece of fabric but could not, said Christina Frain, vice president of operations for TRsG Inc., the contract operators for the Aberdeen Proving Ground Business Development Office.

While the technology has not yet proven bulletproof, army researchers believe it could present an alternative to ceramic body armor, which weighs about 17 to 24 pounds for the average soldier. Researchers also believe the substance, which keeps fabric flexible until intense pressure is applied, can be used to make stab- resistant sleeves and pants - areas that need to stay flexible and are currently not protected by ballistic vests.

But more testing needs to be done, Frain said. As with other technologies developed at federal research laboratories, partnering with the private sector can speed up the research and development process.

One of the biggest reasons to do this is to accelerate the process of fielding the technology, she said. Technology commercialization also saves taxpayers money, she said.

While transferring to a Maryland company would be excellent, there is no way to ensure that a commercial partner will come from an in- state company, Frain said.

In fact, the bulk of the commercial licenses for technology developed at one of Aberdeen Proving Ground's dozen research and development facilities have so far gone to companies outside of the state, she said, often because the highly specialized products limit the pool of qualified companies, she said.