DSM Dyneema today introduced Dyneema® HB80, a unidirectional (UD) composite that meets the joint US Army and Marine challenge to increase the fragmentation performance by at least 35 percent of advanced combat helmets. Dyneema® HB80 also has the potential to provide law enforcement SWAT units with helmets offering existing protection at half the current weight. It is the latest product in an expanding series of materials being developed by DSM Dyneema to substantially lighten the load for soldiers and law enforcement.

Dyneema® HB80 – the highest ballistic performance UD material on the market today – is now available for shipment to armor manufacturers. Dyneema® HB80 is being manufactured at the company’s North Carolina plant, which is undergoing substantial expansion. DSM Dyneema made the announcement at the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement’s (IDGA) 4th annual Military Armor Protection conference.

Dyneema® HB80 addresses the requirements for Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH), a joint program of the US Army and Marines. Under the pre-launch prototype name Dyneema® X31, the product has undergone extensive ballistic and secondary-property testing by several helmet manufacturers. In testing, helmets made with Dyneema® HB80 have demonstrated a minimum of 35 percent increase in fragmentation performance when compared to the helmets currently used by the US armed forces.

“Dyneema® HB80 will enable helmet manufacturers to raise the bar in performance and weight and will not only deliver higher levels of protection against new and ever-emerging threats, it will also lighten the load enabling greater comfort and increased mobility for the men and women wearing it,“ added Ken Dooley, Senior Vice President for DSM Dyneema Life Protection Americas.

Other Armor Applications

DSM Dyneema entered the US helmet protection market last year when its UD material was specified for use in a composite law enforcement helmet construction. The new grade, Dyneema® HB80, meets National Institute of Justice (NIJ) IIIA specifications and can provide 40 to 50 percent weight savings compared to existing aramid helmets.

Armor manufacturers are provided with opportunities to reduce the weight of ballistic inserts for protection against rifle rounds by making use of the wider range of protection this material can offer.

In addition to personal protection applications, Dyneema® HB80 is being evaluated and considered for high-end vehicle armor applications where light weight and ultra-high armor performance are essential.

Dyneema® HB80 is offered as the premier material solution for highest protection at lightest weight in armor applications.

DSM Dyneema Around the World

In a similar move at the DVD exhibition in Millbrook, UK this week, DSM Dyneema launched Dyneema® BT10 – its first product in a new range of ballistic tape (BT) products for use in lightweight, high protection vehicle armor that offers superior performance at lower weight and competitive price to aramid materials.

DSM Dyneema is increasing its investment in both innovation and manufacturing in the US. DSM Dyneema is on target to significantly increase its global capacity for UD materials for personal protection (helmets, inserts and vests) and vehicle protection as part of a previously announced up to $ 450 million expansion in UD and fiber materials, the majority of which is occurring at its Greenville, N.C., facility.