Law and Order

JAN 2014

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UP-CLOSE DSM Dyneema Ballistic Materials SUMMARY Dyneema® is a synthetic ballistic fiber 15 times stronger than steel. Yet Dyneema is up to 40% lighter than other ballistic materials like aramids. Point Blank Body Armor is the first to use Dyneema Force Multiplier Technology in soft body armor—their Alpha Elite Series. MORE INFORMATION www.dyneema.com www.pointblankenterprises.com www.pointblankarmor.com www.eliteproven.com www.paracletearmor.com D yneema® is an advanced form of UltraHigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE). It is used as a multi-flament fber in yarn, in unidirectional sheets, and in tape for soft and hard ballistic materials. Don't make the mistake of thinking that UHMWPE is just plastic. That is like thinking a hemp rope and steel cable are pretty much the same. Dyneema is 15 times stronger than steel. Yet Dyneema is up to 40% lighter than other ballistic materials like aramids. Dyneema Unidirectional (UD) has a very high strength-to-weight ratio and gives high levels of ballistic protection with light weight and thin armor profle. Dyneema ballistic tape is used in a wide range of armor solutions. Aramid and UHMWPE DSM DYNEEMA BALLISTIC MATERIALS WITH YOU WHEN IT MATTERS By LAW and ORDER Staff 50 LAW and ORDER I October 2014 January 2013 Body armor manufacturers take two totally different approaches—use two totally different materials—in their ballistic panels. One material is an aramid fber. The other material is UHMWPE. Many body armor makers use both materials, one for one application and the other for another. A few body armor makers offer different lines of ballistic vests with aramid fber used in one product line and UHMWPE in another. Aramid fbers are a class of strong and heat-resistant synthetic fbers used in ballistic-rated body armor fabric. These "aromatic polyamide" fbers have highly oriented, long-chain molecules along the fber axis for the strongest chemical bonds. In 1973, DuPont introduced the aramid fber, Kevlar. It is this long chemical chain of very axis-oriented molecules that gives aramid fbers their ballistic properties. This strength is something that aramids share with another synthetic fber, UHMWPE. Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), also known as high-modulus polyethylene or highperformance polyethylene has extremely long molecular chains. Longer chemical chains, those with bonds oriented along the axis of the fber, spread out the load, force or stress. As a result, UHMWPE is a very tough material, with a very high-impact strength. It is widely used in ballistic

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