The young scientists of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) Islamabad have developed Blast Protection Material having capacity to absorb shock and can be applied upon existing construction. The project was sponsored by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), said a press release issued here on Wednesday.
The material when used on existing structures will be able to protect these and the inmates from explosion, blast and seismic activity or earthquakes. During the research, intelligent viscoelastic composites based on segmented nano-polymer technology were developed and tested for seismic and blast protection.
The blast protection material protects the inmates from the aftermath of a nearby explosion. It can be gainfully used on all types of construction sites both civil and defence platforms, including sensitive installations and buildings.
It is a potent safeguard against any seismic activity, or earthquake. The material being tough, resilient and flexible, allows only minor deflection, thereby absorbing the shock effectively. The structure remains intact mitigating the possibility of injury, or death to the inmates.
The polymer system and the defining material properties such as impact Strength, Tensile Modulus, Elongation, Dynamic Mechanical Properties (Storage Modulus, Loss Modulus and Loss Tangent), Tear Strength were evaluated. The material development was assisted by computer simulations using autodyne that helps to optimise far-field and structural parameters. Initial field trials were conducted to prove the practical viability of the blast protection material, namely, the `Drop Test' and the `Blast Test'.
These tests basically determine the mechanical shock-induced response of the retrofitted material. Initial tests conducted with extremely encouraging results. The material will benefit the security agencies including defence forces and civil installations situated in whole of the country.
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