These luggage containers are composed of a material dubbed 'Glare', which might be used on airliners soon.
From the
Scientific American article:
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Glare (short for glass reinforced), consists of multiple aluminum layers interspersed with layers of fiberglass and adhesive bonding that are supple yet strong. When used in fabricating luggage containers, Glare can absorb bomb blasts without breaching
As Glare expands with the blast, it absorbs the explosive energy and redistributes the impact load to the adjacent surface area rather than to one specific weak spot. The bomb blast leaves a sizable deformation in the container's surface, but it remains intact. Moreover, whereas other FAA-tested containers were also able to contain the bomb blast, Glare, whose glass fibers boast a melting point of 1,500 degrees Celsius, could resist the subsequent luggage-fueled fire inside the container. The postblast fire melts Glare's innermost aluminum layer, but in doing so the underlying adhesive bond carbonizes, keeping the fiberglass layers in place and effectively forming a fire wall that prevents the container from collapsing.
The Explosive Containment System3 (Ecos3) container that incorporates Glare--designed by Galaxy Aviation Securi-ty in Egg Harbor Township, N.J.--is 150 pounds heavier than standard aluminum luggage containers. Because extra weight means lower profits, aluminum luggage containers remain the industry standard.
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