MemorySil dissipates mechanical energy very well through large hysteresis loops, but its ultra-low stiffness gives poor shock attenuation against concentrated, high-energy impacts. According to a laboratory test report from impact-protection specialists D3O, it functions more like a slow-yielding cushion than armor plating.
Strengths
- Massive energy loops: exceptionally high hysteresis in both tensile and compression tests.
- Energy absorption: the internal structure dampens mechanical energy rather than storing it like a rigid spring.
- Consistent recovery: it returns to its molded shape fairly quickly, keeping damping properties consistent across repeated impacts.
Limitations
- High transmitted force: in a standard 5-joule impact test it transmits a high amount of force, at least 5 times worse at blocking sudden shocks than standard D3O materials such as SE004 (report p. 7).
- Insufficient stiffness: it lacks the compressive resistance to halt a fast object and compresses to nearly nothing (pp. 5, 7).
- Prone to puncture: low ultimate tensile strength lets sharp, localized impacts pierce MemorySil sheets (pp. 5, 7, 9).
Recommended use
D3O engineers recommend using MemorySil only alongside a rigid backing (pp. 7, 9). A hard plate spreads an incoming blow over a large area, letting MemorySil’s soft, high-dissipation layer absorb the remaining vibration without bottoming out or tearing.
The D3O report is not reproduced here. We should add a link or PDF of it, with permission, so readers can verify these figures.