Avient celebrates five year partnership with Bravo Zulu providing personal protection for Taiwan market

Over the last decade, Avient has partnered with X-Proof and Bravo Zulu in the Asia Pacific region to support the Taiwan MND’s ambition to produce the next generation of lightweight, high-performance ballistic helmets.  The collaboration first began with X-Proof in 2010 and has since expanded to its subsidiary, Bravo Zulu, as part of X-Proof’s strategic growth ambitions to support the Taiwanese market. 

Since 2015, Avient and Bravo Zulu have collaborated to provide lightweight armor solutions that meet the local requirements of the Taiwan MND using Dyneema® UD material, produced in Avient’s manufacturing facility in Greenville, North Carolina. Dyneema® provides advanced ballistic stopping power without sacrificing user comfort or mobility – making it the material of choice for many of the world’s elite military and law enforcement personnel.   

“Using Dyneema®, our customer has been able to provide an increased level of protection to the soldier,” states Louis Liu, Managing Director of Bravo Zulu.  “We look forward to bringing the next level of innovation to them, with help from Avient.”

Avient has delivered more than 1.3 million linear meters of Dyneema® HB210 material, sourced from the United States, to support six helmet tenders for the Taiwan MND – making Taiwan the first country in Asia Pacific to utilize Dyneema® HB210 for high-performance ballistic applications. Dyneema® HB210 is part of Avient’s Dyneema® Force Multiplier Technology platform, which fuses breakthrough polymer science, next-generation fiber technology and unique unidirectional engineering to provide significantly lighter and more ergonomic armor solutions. 

In helmet applications, Dyneema® Force Multiplier Technology offers up to 25 percent weight reduction when compared to competitive materials, while still protecting against both legacy and emerging threats. Studies indicate that increased armor loads can negatively impact situational awareness and decrease soldier performance by reducing cognitive recognition, tactical performance and mobility. However, helmets made with Dyneema® offer protection without compromising on effectiveness by lowering the overall load of the wearer. 

“We are very proud to be associated with Bravo Zulu and all the fruits that this partnership has delivered,” says Marcelo van de Kamp, Global Business Director of Avient. “We look forward to exploring additional growth areas together, including the introduction of more sustainable armor solutions that don’t sacrifice performance or protection.”   

In line with Avient’s commitment to protect people and the environment they live in, the world’s first-ever bio-based HMPE fiber was introduced in May 2020. Bio-based Dyneema® boasts the same exact performance as conventional Dyneema® with a carbon footprint that is 90 percent lower than generic HMPE. Avient and Bravo Zulu’s continued partnership in supporting the Taiwan MND will not only provide innovative, lightweight solutions for armor technology, but also environmentally sustainable alternatives that contribute to a circular economy.