Tissue papers could stop bullets, is a little difficult to swallow. But, if Brian Korgel, a scientist at the University of Texas is to be believed, this miracle is possible. His work shows that brittle germanium and silicon can help in making a soft “tissue paper” that contains individual fibers equally strong as bulletproof Kevlar. These new nanowires are capable of stopping bullets, producing energy and performing ample of other tasks.
The tissue paper can easily be woven into traditional fabric or fixed in hard plastics, giving you material that is bulletproof and self-sufficient. Although germanium is quite hard and brittle, germanium tissue paper is flexible and won’t break on bending. Not only will the new fabric be used to give protection from bullets, but also harness solar energy. Germanium can absorb both sunlight and infrared light. So, using germanium nanowires in clothing and hard plastic could help in converting solar power into electrical energy, which will in turn power electric devices or embedded sensors.
Via: DiscoveryNews