New Explosion-Protection Fabric Reduces Blast Shock 25 Percent
Online, June 22, 2010 (Newswire.com) - HOUSTON, June 22, 2010-ZetixTM, a revolutionary new blast-mitigation fabric marketed by Houston-based Advanced Fabric Technologies (AFT, http://www.advancedfabrictechnologies.com), has been shown to reduce the shock wave associated with an explosion by 25 percent, according to researchers at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom (UK).
Zetix was developed initially as a blast-curtain material, designed to catch flying window glass and other debris, but the Exeter test findings indicate it can substantially reduce the shock wave that is the primary cause of death and injury in an explosion.
"Zetix, based on patented auxetic technology, represents a completely new approach to blast mitigation because the material automatically adjusts its strength and thickness in response to the application of explosive and other forces," said AFT President David O'Keefe.
Zetix employs an elastic yarn wrapped in non-elastic fibers that cause the yarn to bulge instead of thinning when stretched. Bundles of these wrapped fibers are woven together into a fabric that may be interwoven with fiber optics, telemetry wires and other materials to provide additional capabilities, O'Keefe noted.
Tests conducted through the UK's Ministry of Defense revealed that a single layer of Zetix rendered shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) detonation from a distance of 1.5 meters (five feet) non-lethal. In another such test, one layer of Zetix survived eight consecutive grenade blasts from a distance of one meter (three feet). Testing is under way in the United States by AFT and potential end-users in a variety of industries.
"Security applications for Zetix include lightweight armor enhancements for combat vehicles, aircraft and ships; spall liners; blast curtains; bomb blankets; and even bullet-proof vests, when employed behind ceramic strike plates," O'Keefe said. "Other applications include hurricane protection for refineries and offshore oil and gas facilities, self-adjusting filters, injury-reducing seat belts, and medical materials."
Zetix was invented by Dr. Patrick Hook and associates at Exeter, in conjunction with Dow Corning, Ltd. Advanced Fabric Technologies holds the exclusive right to manufacture and market Zetix in the Western Hemisphere and first right of refusal for international marketing. Exeter's "Auxetic Textiles for Blast Mitigation" project is being funded to the tune of over half a million British pounds (US$814,000) for three years, through July 2011.