This Spray Makes Ordinary Objects — Including Watermelon — Indestructible [Video]

By Amanda Froelich Truth Theory

Ordinarily, a watermelon isn’t too difficult to crack open. But when coated with Line-X, the same stuff that lines the walls of the Pentagon and is used in bulletproof vests, it’s nearly indestructible. This was proven by Derek from Veritasium in a video which will blow your mind.

For an episode of the Veritasium show, a watermelon was coated with Line-X (read further for a description and how it works) then dropped off a 45-meter (158-foot) tower. Contrary to what one might expect, the watermelon bounced. Not even an ax broke the watermelon open. The only way the team cracked open the melon was with a buzzsaw, believe it or not.

Watch the video below:

According to Science Alert, Line-X works so well because “it’s pretty much a big mess.” The “internal structure is a mess, the ingredients are a mess, and it goes on as a mess,” Fiona Macdonald writes. A more scientific explanation is that Line-X, messy as it is, is made of two ingredients: nicknamed A and B.

A is mostly made up of a molecule called Diphenylmethane-4,4′-diisocyanate, or MDI. It is very reactive at its end. B is the plasticising part and has an incredibly long molecular name. When A and B mix, they bond together within seconds and form another long molecule known as a polyuria.

Together, the long, tangled molecules give Line-X phenomenal strength and flexibility. They can literally stretch out and snap back into place. This is what happened when the watermelon was coated with the substance. As the video shows, the mixture was incredibly hot because the binding of the molecules releases an enormous amount of energy as heat. After a few minutes, however, it gets very hard, very fast.

Using Line-X on a watermelon isn’t practical, but the above video demonstrates the product’s durability. Imagine its other uses! A variety of items could become virtually indestructible when lined with the molecular combination, and that is amazing — and concerning — to consider.