Science Scene - Bombproof Wallpaper

This entry was inspired by a brief article in the April 2009 Popular Science Magazine.

Franklin, MA - Berry Plastics Corporation, the industry's leading manufacturer of flexible films and tapes, has introduced X-FLEX Blast Protection System, an innovative, peel-and-stick solution that is designed specifically to absorb energy and mitigate debris hazards during a significant blast event.

Developed through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) of the US Army Corp of Engineers and Engineered Protective Systems of Berry Plastics Corporation, this new stretch-and-catch system uses the technology of elastomeric material to retrofit walls and greatly enhance the ability to mitigate secondary debris hazards associated with blast loads.

U.S. Troops might soon be protecting their bunks with these bombproof sheets of peel-and-stick plastic. These sheets are a composite tape made from polyurethane reinforced with aramid, a heat-resistant fiber used in body armor. Soldiers simply slap the 1/5 inch thick adhesive sheets to their walls, rendering them able to withstand shrapnel and small explosions.