Dyneema marries fiber to carbon for strength, durability

Dutch high-performance fiber developer Dyneema has introduced a carbon composite-fiber hybrid it says significantly improves the performance of pure carbon composites in terms of weight, impact resistance, ductility and vibrational dampening.

While pure carbon is stiff, lightweight and easy to mold, it is not highly resistant to impact, and splinters when it breaks. Combing carbon with Dyneema^® fiber, impact energy absorption can be increased by up to 100 percent, the company says in a press release, while also removing the risk of potentially harmful splintering. Dyneema Carbon hybrid composites are lighter, less brittle and more vibration dampening than pure carbon composites.

Fifteen times stronger than steel, buoyant Dyneema fiber has long been used to moor oil rigs and sail ships, stop bullets and repair human ligaments. As a fabric component, it’s also becoming increasingly popular with high-performance sports apparel.

Dyneema’s light weight and strength can be used in such products as golf clubs, bicycles and auto steering wheels, among many other applications.