Pangolin scales could be key to self-healing bulletproof vests: scientists | South China Morning Post

Nov 06, 2024

The scale of a pangolin can pop dents by itself, a discovery that may lead to the development of self-healing bulletproof vest, according to Chinese scientists.

The recovery process requires water and takes around three to five minutes, according to experiments conducted as part of an ongoing research project at the Shenyang National Laboratory for Material Science in Liaoning Province.

Lead researcher Liu Zengqian said a bulletproof vest based on pangolin scales could potentially be reused after taking a shot. Kevlar based vests must be discarded after use, as the material loses effectiveness following a bullet strike.

“Just throw [the pangolin-based vest] into a washing machine and it will reemerge like new with all the dents, bends, and twists fully repaired by itself,” Liu said.

Pangolins are ant-eating mammals native to Asia and Africa. Plate-like scales cover their bodies from head to tail that are strong enough to fend off even a lion's claws or teeth. Pangolins are the only mammal known to have developed scales in this fashion, and though they have been utilised by humans for armour coats for centuries, it remained a mystery how they retained their shape and durability over time.

“The secret lies in its molecular structure,” said Liu, whose lab is under the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Metal Research.