DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema® is a super strong polyethylene fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited.

Dyneema® is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema® is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema® is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel.

Dyneema® Yarn

Dyneema® Yarn is a continuous filament yarn supplied in a number of yarn grades:

SK25/SK60/SK65

This multi-purpose grade is ideal for many applications, including ropes, fishing nets, cordage, protective clothing and to reinforce impact-resistant semi-structural composites.

SK75

With a higher tenacity than SK60 (25% stronger), this grade is specially designed for use in ropes, cordage, fishery and textile applications, wherever higher performance and maximum weight savings are required.

Dyneema® Yarn is normally supplied without twist. If required, it can be supplied as twisted yarn.

Dyneema® UD

Dyneema® UD is a unique lightweight composite providing superior anti-ballistic protection, for both personal and vehicle protection.

UD stands for 'unidirectional': in Dyneema® UD all the fibers are laid parallel, in the same plane, rather than being woven together. Dyneema® UD is made of several layers of Dyneema ® fibers, with the direction of fibers in each layer at 90° to the direction of the fibers in the adjacent layers. The unidirectional configuration of the fibers in Dyneema® UD allows the energy transferred from the impact of a bullet or other threat to be distributed along the fibers much faster and more efficiently than in conventional woven fabrics. This is because the absorption power of the yarn in woven fabrics is lost at the crossover points, as these points reflect rather than absorb the shockwaves of the impact. In Dyneema® UD, much more of the material is engaged in stopping the bullet, making it more effective against ballistics.

Dyneema® UD is available in two types:

UD-SB
For 'soft ballistic' body armor to protect against handgun ammunition:

• Lightweight and flexible for maximum wearing comfort
• Strongly reduced blunt trauma effect
• Excellent protection against more aggressive handgun bullets

UD-HB
For 'hard ballistic' applications for both personal and vehicle protection:

• Excellent protection against rifle fire (e.g. NATO Ball, AK47, Dragunov)
• Excellent mechanical rigidity and toughness
• Complex shapes can easily be molded
• Resistant to both high and low temperatures, such as those occurring in vehicles or in extreme climates
• Performance unaffected by moisture
• Positive buoyancy in water (ideal for marine operations)

Processing
Dyneema® UD is easy to process and handle:

• No special storage is required

Dyneema Purity®

Dyneema Purity® is a highly purified grade of Dyneema® developed specifically for use in medical applications where maximum strength and minimum weight are required. It is ideal for orthopedic implants, for example, as it allows smaller implants to be used, and is flexible and resistant to abrasion. Similarly, its strength can be used for surgical instruments for minimally invasive procedures.

Dyneema Purity® is produced in clean equipment, under strictly controlled conditions and without any of the additives or spin oil used in the production of the industrial grades. At the end of production, an advanced purification process is conducted to remove solvents.