Re: Re : Potential new body armour

[Brian McDonald <Brian_mcdonald@xxxxxxx>]

Mike Fortey wrote:

> --- "ILL.OMEN" <ILL.OMEN@wanadoo.fr> wrote: > >De : >
>/SNIP/
>
>>>The water-soluble fibers are worrisome for me
>>>
>>though.
>>
>>>"Spray them down with water before you shoot
>>>
>>them."
>>
>
>Normal Kevlar looses some of it's properties when wet,
>so to meet class requirements (jackets are tested wet
>and dry), they either need to be over-engineered when
>dry, or the kevlar is sealed in a waterproof layer.
>One assumes that they'd do the same with this.
>
>Mike
>
It's water soluable "proteins" not fibres.  And this is just the first 
step in trying to reproduce spider silk.  while its an important first 
step we are still a few years from useful products in a commercial arena 
at the very best.  Spider silk is not water soluable in its finished form.