Everybody has heard of Kevlar and Nomex which has been in production by Dupont for quite sometime. These products have been associated more with their use in body armor which has become more and more popular in the recent years due to the proliferation of handguns and other weapons. Little do we know that these products truly are lifesavers asides from their most popular uses as we have mentioned.
They are used for quite a diverse line of products that all of us benefit from such as in electrical transformers and delivery systems and the protection of such equipment. Even workers in hazardous environments benefit from such miracle fabrics and materials such as those who work on oil rigs where Kevlar reinforced helmets, gloves and other safety equipment are incorporated into in the drive for a safer workplace. Fiber optic cables that span the globe are protected by both materials giving them unsurpassed protection from extreme temperatures and abrasion under water and even on land.
Even the aerospace industry uses such materials in the recent requirements for the reinforcing of the cockpit and other vital areas of an aircraft that was brought about the events of 9/11. Made into fabric, they are a better alternative to traditional bullet proofing methods on aircraft which would be too heavy and therefore too heavy and costly. All that is needed is a simple retrofit of all vital panels such as the doors, floors and equipment compartments that need protection from attack or other natural forces in normal use saving thousands if not millions of dollars in maintenance and of course making travel safer for all of us. The said fibers have even made it into outer space where they were used on the Mars Rovers.
As we can see, these fibers are getting into the most common uses as time passes and they just keep and getting stronger. In Asia, scientists have discovered that spider silk is much stronger than the same diameter of steel, Kevlar or any other man made products making it more affordable to produce protective equipment. Scientists have implanted the genes from spiders into goats allowing them to produce the same proteins that make up spider silk thus allowing unlimited supply.