Dyneema is a superstrong polyethylene fiber produced using a patented gel spinning process. This remarkable fiber is up to 15 times stronger than steel and, weight-for-weight, is 40% stronger than competing aramid fibers. It has high energy absorption and low elongation. Dyneema floats on water, and is extremely resistant to abrasion, moisture, UV rays and chemicals. As a result, it has an almost unlimited range of applications, providing maximum strength and security for minimum weight.
i hope delbert is around to help on this one. maybe greg too. is this stuff usable and more accsesable than basalt fibre which i find impossible to get here in oz.
It’s an aramid fiber, same class as kevlar and spectra.
I haven’t seen it in woven fabric myself but I own a set of 300kg kite lines made from it. Some guys are using it in epoxy kiteboards. I would guess that working with it is similar to working with kevlar - it floats in resin so it’s difficult.
I have to go surf right now, but this is a fun topic that I am involved in as a way of life. I believe I laminated the first surfboard ever for Spectra Fiber Co.(Allied Signal) back in the early eighties. Dyneema fiber is the European equivalent product. I really don’t know who made oriented UHMW fiber first. This is the only reinforcement fiber you will find at this time that is lighter than water, thus it will float fast if you try to contact laminate it. That’s what happened to me on the first experimental stick. The epoxy just kept seeming to disappear. Actually the fiber was floating higher and higher. Also the 2.9oz. Spectra is almost 50% thicker than 6oz. E-glass and almost 3 times the break strength. I have alot more to say, but the surf is calling. I’ll come back and add more. Love Delbert Pumpernickel
great news, tell me more delbert, maybe we can get something moving with this stuff and gregs resin and vacumn bagging etc. and have you manged to get some basalt fibre out to bert yet?
yea sorry dave ,i been away for a few weeks up north ,got sick waves .dont even wanna look at the cold crap around here now…yea i had heard of it from an old composites guru ,he pretty much told me it was very similar to kevlar ,when he said that .i lost interest ,coz even kevlar is a bit of a hoax for surfboards …its only any good if you have it under a sandwich material or under other hand laid layers ,the other thing he said was the resin to fibre bond wasnt that good so it wouldnt be any good for the outside layer of a board ,coz the resin would crack off the fibres when it got impacted and look like dry glass again , ive seen kevlar do that ,he reckons dyneema does it worse…
what holly said about glassing a board with it is so true ,i had the same thing happen with kevlar and it was made worse by the fact i used a long potlife epoxy …plus you cant sand the stuff ,if you hit the weave anywhere it turns to carpet…
so it has to be under other layers or hidden under a sandwich…
it would have merit in certain situations , if someone paid me 3,000.00 i could build a bullet proof board , thats where your at with some of these exotic fibres…