Dropping a watermelon off a 45-metre (148-foot) tower should leave a big dirty mess at the bottom, right? Well, guess again!
Last week YouTuber Veritasium sprayed some magic potion on a watermelon, and when it was dropped off the building, the thing actually bounced off instead of shattering into pieces!
What sorcery is this!
As it turned out, the sprayed coated was so tough that even an ax could crack open the melon. When a member from “How Ridiculous” finally cracked it open using a freaking buzzsaw, they saw that apart from the fruit being slushy in the middle, the casing was still intact and capable of taking more punishment.
So how was this possible?
As it turned out, the only thing stopping the watermelon from breaking after a 100 km/h (62 mph) fall sounds was a spray on coating of Line-X. This is the same material that is used to coat the walls of the Pentagon and also made to make those bullet-proof vests impenetrable.
As Derek from Veritasium explains, Line-X’s internal structure is a complete mess, with long chains and utter chaos. But as it is with everything, there is a method to the madness.
The material consists of two components, the first called Diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate, or MDI for short, which is known for being extremely reactive at its ends. The second one is called alpha-(2-aminomethylethyl)-omega-(2-aminomethylethoxy)- poly(oxy(methyl-1 2-ethanediyl)), and is the plasticizing part.
When the two components mix, they form an even longer molecule called polyurea. The long-chained tangled molecules give the Line-X its incredible strength, but also adds flexibility and resilience.
The material is so potent that it releases a lot of heat when first applied, and as seen in the video Derek can’t even rip a piece of paper which was coated with the stuff.
Have any ideas of what else can we coat with Line-X? Share them in the comment below!