Cient\u00edficos navales del Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC),\u00a0 han desarrollado con \u00e9xito una versi\u00f3n sint\u00e9tica de mucosa de un pez denominado \u201cHagfish\u201d, que tiene propiedades similares a las del Kevlar.\u00a0El Hagfish es un pez que tiene su h\u00e1bitat en el lecho marino y emplea una mucosa como sistema de protecci\u00f3n ante sus predadores.Los cient\u00edficos han encontrado que posee interesantes aplicaciones para protecci\u00f3n bal\u00edstica, debido a las propiedades finales entre el hilado que se puede obtener con esa mucosa y el Kevlar.<\/p>\n
Navy scientists working out of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division (NSWC) have successfully created a synthetic version of hagfish slime that has mechanical properties similar to Kevlar.<\/p>\n
Hagfish are an eel-like fish that dwell on sea floors scavenging for food, they also secrete a protective viscous slime when attacked by predators that Navy experts believe may help with ballistics protection.<\/p>\n
Hagfish slime is composed of a thread and a mucin, according to Dr. Ryan Kincer a Materials Engineer working at NSWC. The thread is said to be comparable to spider silk in that it is naturally occurring substance that could one day be used to replace synthetic petroleum-based products.<\/p>\n
Because of the comparable properties between hagfish slime thread and Kevlar \u2014 a material used in military protective gear, Navy experts see the potential for using the material to defend the fleet.<\/p>\n
“The synthetic<\/a> hagfish slime may be used for ballistics protection, firefighting, anti-fouling, diver protection, or anti-shark spray,” said Biochemist Dr. Josh Kogot in a Navy press release. “The possibilities are endless. Our goal is to produce a substance that can act as non-lethal and non-kinetic defense to protect the warfighter.”<\/p>\n