S'pore duo claim their liquid ceramic coating can make them
lighter and
stronger
STimes 02.11.2005
TWO Singaporeans have come up with a liquid ceramic coating that
can strengthen
bullet-proof vests against gunfire and bomb fragments.
The off-white secret concoction brewed in a Jalan Kembangan
shophouse is the
brainchild of car salesman-turned-entrepreneur Norman Lim, 40, and
his
childhood friend and business partner, Mr Richard Lim, 40, a former
computer
software salesman.
In two years, using $100,000 of their own money, the duo - who have
between
them a theology diploma and a master's in information technology -
may well
have come up with a formula that beats research at top defence
laboratories in
the United States.
The coating invented by the Lims strengthens materials like kevlar
- widely
used in bullet-proof vests.
Their idea is similar to a two decade-old effort pursued by the
US
military's Army Research Laboratory.
But the end product using the Singapore duo's formula weighs only a
third of
the armour protection from the US lab - an important edge as body
armour can
add about 8kg to a soldier's load.
Their tests have shown that a vest made up of 20 layers of
paper-thin kevlar
stops a 9mm bullet in its ninth layer.
When treated with the liquid ceramic and resin mixture, the bullet
is
stopped at the fourth layer.
In a thicker form, the coating they developed can also be made into
a
kevlar-like material.
A third product they have come up with is a special resin and fibre
coating
that can be brushed onto any surface, making a regular kitchen
tile, which
shatters when dropped, bullet-proof.
After successful overseas trials, the duo have decided to move
their
research next month to California, where they plan to sell their
know-how to
firms that make body armour or bullet- and blast-resistant
protection kits for
vehicles.
Mr Christopher Foss, editor of the authoritative Jane's Armour
& Artillery
yearbook, said that if their invention delivers on its promise, the
market
potential is huge, going by the US military experience in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
The shortcomings of existing body and vehicle armour are being
exploited by
insurgents there using improvised explosive devices.
The Lims' next project will be to see if lightweight armour can
protect
vehicles against rocket-propelled grenades - another weapon of
choice for
insurgents in many conflicts.
Mr Norman Lim's interest in composite materials and resins started
in his
teens when he made dioramas, or scaled-down landscapes, for his
plastic models
of tanks and warplanes.
He took a slight detour in his mid-20s, when he studied theology
in
Oklahoma. After completing his diploma, he helped in churches and
orphanages in
India but soon returned to Singapore.
'We can't function without money. We have to make some money too,'
he said.
He returned to work on composite materials, but graduated from
model
vehicles to the real thing, making car body kits for rally cars and
racing
bikes.
'I have a friend who used to work for Lotus, the race car company,
and he
taught me a lot about composite technology,' he added.
By working on hi-fi speakers using kevlar, he also began to
appreciate the
qualities of this tough yet supple material.
He then decided to combine his childhood interest in military
equipment and
his knowledge of composite materials.
In November last year, he gave up his $10,000-a-month job and roped
in his
old neighbour Richard, whom he has known since they were
five.
Did he ever imagine he would end up in the defence industry when he
was
studying theology in Oklahoma in 1991?
It's not all that different, he said. 'My work is all about saving
lives.'
[email protected]
The Lims with their inventions
THE black panel held by Mr Norman Lim is the soft ceramic armour.
It is about
16mm thick.
The Lims fired five 5.56mm rounds at it using an M-16 assault rifle
with
zero penetration.
Normal ceramic armour needed to resist these hits would be about
10mm thick.
However, it is much harder to wear as it is inflexible, especially
when the
wearer has it on his chest and back, and tries to bend over. The
Lims' armour
can also resist multiple hits. The tile held by Mr Richard Lim has
been made
bullet- proof with a resin and fibre coating.
END of news
