The textile called cocos nucifera sheath is a type of biowaste and using that, the team managed to create a bulletproof vest called the Techno-Economic Hard Body Armour.
The armour is made of numerous layers of the material which is placed inside, resulting in it being bulletproof.
Passed the shooting test
According to an article on UPM's news page, a ballistics test was performed on the body armour using a 7.62mm calibre bullet and it passed the test.Project research team head Dr Mohammad Jawaid said that the result from the ballistic test showed that the depth of blunt trauma on the vest was only 26.51mm.
This was much lower than the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) 's blunt trauma limit of 44mm.
In plain and simple terms, this coconut vest could work as well or even better than a standard bulletproof vest.
Cheaper and more environmentally friendly
Dr Jawaid also said that the vest could save about 44% of the fabrication cost when compared to the Kevlar based types.
He explained that usual multi-layered armoured (MA) vests were made up of ceramics, composites (Kevlar / epoxy) and metals.
Using Kevlar however, presents some drawbacks as it is expensive and not environmentally friendly.
"Due to its non-biodegradable nature, it may pollute the environment and affect the eco-system, and because aramid fabrics are generally more expensive, the overall cost of manufacturing it is increased," he said.
A job well done to Dr Jawaid and his team!