Braeön: An Adaptable Paper-Thin Ribbon With Steel-Like Strength

With descriptions like 'strong as steel but light as a feather,' this new product seems almost mythological. However, the makers of Braeön (pronounced "brawn") assure users it's very much real. This Kickstarter project holds to its promises.

The material boasts a tensile strength of over 2,000 lbs (907 kg). Unfurl 100 ft of the stuff and it weighs less than 1 lb (0.5 kg). It's resistant to puncture, even under the most extreme circumstances.

To use it, simply heat the length of ribbon needed to 140 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter. Then, shape the ribbon to fit whatever need you have. Let the ribbon set up for a few minutes and cool. The material fuses to itself to form the insanely strong bond.

[Image Source: Braeön Co]

The thin fiber has a wide variety of uses. It can be used to repair sports equipment. It's malleable enough to mold to the human body if someone needed protection or a device like a splint. Use it to mend a towing line or make an entirely new pull. The company even used Braeön as a replacement chain link to lift a massive cement block:

If users need to remold or tweak their creations, all they have to do is reheat Braeön and mold it to fit their new needs.

The company believes in the product so much that it's encouraging people to participate in the Braeön Strong Challenge. They'll send two loops of Braeön material and all participants have to do is break the loop without heat, mechanical help or altering the material. Film the experience and send the results back to Braeön Co. for the chance to win a Braeön Strong Prize Pack.

The project resulted from a veteran and materials engineer who needed a product that could do nearly everything he needed. He developed the synthetic fiber with his years of experience in materials engineering.

Those interested in learning more about Braeön can visit the Kickstarter website here.

SEE ALSO: Researchers Engineer World's Strongest Substance from Soybeans