Recently, a research team from the School of Textile Science and Engineering and the Engineering Research Center of Knitting Technology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, has achieved large-scale production of protective materials with a scale-like fabric structure inspired by snake skin.
The composite scale fabric proposed in this study consists of a soft fabric base layer and overlapping rigid shell-like scales, overcoming the inherent contradiction between lightweight and high strength, thereby achieving long-term comfort in protective materials. This breakthrough is poised to provide inspiration for future material structural innovations and offer substantial advantages for the development of personal protective equipment in various industrial fields.
It is reported that violent or terrorist attacks pose a significant threat to public safety, especially to law enforcement and security personnel. Data indicates that edged weapons such as knives are more common than firearms in such incidents, leading to a growing demand for effective anti-stab equipment.
Traditional leather armor often adopts a scale-like structure, providing excellent protective performance and flexibility for flexible surfaces. This structure holds tremendous potential for the development of high-performance protective materials that balance stab resistance and comfort. Integrating the rigidity of scale structures with flexible substrates based on the flexibility and protective characteristics of biological scales remains a key research focus.
