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| Auxetix currently has five main areas of interest in the defence sector. These are: • Window-protection • Ballistic-fragment protection for military tents • Ballistic camouflage nets • Enhancements for body armour • Spall-liners for vehicles, ships, aircraft & buildings Window-protection Materials Recent terrorist threats have renewed concerns about the protection offered to our buildings both domestically and internationally. One issue that has received a lot of attention in recent years is the hazard posed by flying window glass. Typically more than 80% of deaths and serious injuries are caused by flying debris. Blast curtains can be used to significantly reduce the number of casualties caused by this during a terrorist strike. Auxetix has developed a range of blast-fabrics that can be used for window-protection. Ballistic-fragment protection for military tents Conventional military tents are extremely vulnerable to attack by enemy forces, and provide little to no ballistic-protection. Auxetix is developing variants of the ZetixTM blast-mitigation fabrics which can be used as liners for the fly sheets. This could significantly reduce the ingress of shrapnel (from mortars, RPGs and grenades), thus reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries sustained in action. Ballistic camouflage nets Conventional camouflage nets, as used by the world's military forces, do not provide anything more than a degree of cover from observation. ZetixTM ballistic-protection fabrics which have been printed with camouflage patterns can, however, also provide significant protection against primary and secondary fragmentation. Auxetix is also developing thinner forms of the ZetixTM ballistic-protection fabrics for use as military mosquito nets. Whilst still working well as insect screens, these would also act as secondary fragmentation shields, providing extra protection in the event of a local mortar or grenade burst. Spall-liners for vehicles, ships, aircraft & buildings Spalling is a process that occurs when a hard structure is hit by a projectile or explosion and the opposite face bursts and scabs of material fly off, often at ballistic speeds. The terms 'Scabbing', 'Ablation' and 'Spalling' all refer to the same thing. It can be a serious problem with vehicles, aircraft, boats and buildings. The principle here is that the ZetixTM blast-fabrics are fixed to the inside of a threatened structure, and in the event of a projectile strike, reduce any potentially lethal back-face bursting. This role is especially significant in weight-sensitive applications, as backings made from ZetixTM ballistic-protection fabrics make it possible to use a thinner armour, with consequent savings in both cost and weight. Enhancements for body armour With the ability to disperse blast and impact as well as reduce spalling, the ZetixTM ballistic-protection fabrics can be used in a variety of ways as enhancements for body armour.
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