Researchers Use Chitin to Create Multi-Layer Bulletproof Coatings

Engineers at the University of Houston are using chitin – a derivative of glucose found in the cellular walls of arthropods and fungi – and 3D printing techniques to produce high-impact multilayered coatings that can protect soldiers against bullets, lasers, toxic gas and other dangers.

Although corn is better known as a sustainable, bio-based material, chitin offers promise as a commonly available material that could be processed and used in some products that now require petroleum-based plastics, said Alamgir Karim, Dow Chair Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Karim, who also serves as Director of the International Polymer & Soft Matter Center and of the materials engineering program at UH, is principal investigator on the project, which is charged with developing tough, durable and antimicrobial multilayer films capable of resisting an impact from projectiles or lasers while simultaneously absorbing toxic gas. Karim said the work will also have applications beyond the military, potentially expanding its environmental benefits.