Shock Attenuating Helmet

Explosions from conventional munitions and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) generate substantial blast overpressures that constitute a pervasive hazard to US military personnel in the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters of operations. Researchers currently believe that these explosive events can cause “traumatic brain injury” (TBI), a physical damaging of the brain, which stands in contrast to the psychological effects of “post-traumatic stress disorder” (PTSD). There is also the possibility of damage from the accompanying electromagnetic pulse. This proposal outlines an approach for developing a generalized material for attenuating explosive air blast. This material concept would provide a new helmet, yielding improved TBI protection by reducing the impact of the pressure pulse on the brain.