DSM DYNEEMA INTRODUCES DYNEEMA® HB51 FOR BEST-IN-CLASS BEHIND-STRIKE-FACE INSERTS FOR US MARKET08-Oct-07

DSM Dyneema, maker and inventor of ultra-strong, lightweight Dyneema® polyethylene fiber, has introduced Dyneema® HB51, its newest and strongest UniDirectional (UD) product for the US market for best-in-class inserts used in hard ballistic body armor. This new material, designed for protective backing behind the body armor’s strike face in a hybrid construction, provides an ideal combination of enhanced ballistic performance and lightweight comfort.

Dyneema® HB51 has been designed specifically for the US market. It is manufactured in the US and is compliant with the Berry Amendment (USC, Title 10, Section 2533a), a prerequisite for textile applications specified by the Department of Defense. Behind-strike-face inserts made with the new Dyneema® HB51 are on display at the DSM Dyneema booth # 2361 at AUSA 2007.

Inserts made with Dyneema® HB51 are optimized to provide increased stopping power against multiple fragments at no additional weight. The new fiber delivers an improvement of 20% in ballistic performance over Dyneema® HB2, a product that has been used in many insert applications and worn by US troops in combat. This enhanced performance enables manufacturers of bullet-resistant vests to offer the best protection from today’s new threats.

The material’s ballistic performance is 20% better than that of the well received Dyneema® HB2. The fragment-catching power, specifically, of Dyneema® HB51 has also proven to be significantly higher, as demonstrated through extensive testing.

Ken Dooley, Senior Vice President Life Protection Americas for DSM Dyneema said, "Dyneema® HB51, our latest unidirectional material innovation, allows manufacturers to develop a new generation of inserts for lightweight body armor that can provide enhanced protection against the increased threats and greater demands placed on U.S. military, law enforcement and security forces.”