A Polymer to Protect Phones From Impact

The super-shock-absorbent material called non-Newtonian polymer inspires a lot of don't-try-this-at-home stunts, like getting whacked in the head with a shovel through a layer of the stuff.But these materials are also used in protective clothing for skiers and motorcyclists, and – no surprise here – cases for phones.A company called Tech21 from Britain has been producing protective cases using the polymer D30 for T-Mobile, but in May it spun off its own line.These materials, also know generically as "rate-dependent materials," work by having their molecules freeze in place when struck hard, but are pliant when moved gently — just like water, which is a rate-dependent material of a sort. If you lower yourself into a bath there is little resistance. But slap the water hard with the flat of your hand and it will leave your palm stinging.
Tech21 has put D30 in cases for a variety of phones including those from Apple, HTC, Samsung and RIM as well as some tablets and e-readers.Most of the cases are like the bumpers you see on iPhones, a protective strip of material that surrounds the outer edges. The D30 shows as an orange stripe on the part of the case where the company says a phone is most likely to take a jolt. An upcoming case will also have a D30 pad in the back.The phone cases range in price from $30 for the Impact Band to $136 for the underwater Submariner case.When it comes to product stunts, though, you have to hand it to a company called G-Form, which also uses rate-dependent polymers in its products. It recently had B.A.S.E. jumpers drop an iPhone from 1,000 feet to demonstrate the effectiveness of its padding.
We all know mace can save your life if you're attacked, but it's not always the most convenient thing to carry around.A Scottsdale company hopes to change that.Spraytect has developed a pepper spray cartridge combined with a smartphone case for protection on the go."The pepper spray cartridge is properly placed on the case so it doesn't interrupt phone use. We've made the pepper spray cartridge detachable so the consumer can choose when to add the extra protective feature," said Spraytect creator and CEO Scott McPherson.McPherson came up with the idea just before his daughter went off to college at Arizona State University. With classes starting soon, Spraytect will be on campus to let students know about their products.The mace-case will cost you $40. The case is currently available in black, white, pink and turquoise for the iPhone 4 and 4S models with other platforms and colors planned in the future.