Dyneema® Fibre – Characteristics

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Dyneema® fibre is the brand name for High Modulus Polyethylene (HMPE) fibre also referred to as Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE ).

Lighter than water, Dyneema® fibre is 15 times stronger than quality steel on a weight to weight basis and 7 times stronger based on a matching diameter. It is very static and very resistant to abrasion, UV, moisture and chemicals.

CHARACTERISTICS
Strength Very high
Stretch Very low, ~1% stretch while pulling @ 30% of the minimum break strength
Creep* Low**
Weight Very light (0.98 SG)
Melting point 300°F (149°C)
Long term max temp 158°F (70°C)
Bleaches / Solvents Excellent
Weak acids / alkali Excellent
Strong acids / alkali Excellent
Abrasion resistance Very Good
Mildew / aging / UV Excellent

*Creep is a function of load and time ** Low-creep (SK-78) and no creep (DynaMax)

Standard ABL products made with this fibre include SupreemX-12™, TorX-12™, CoreX-12™, HardLine™.

Vectran® Fibre Characteristics

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Vectran® fibre is a multi-filament yarn made from Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) melt-spun to form fibres with extreme strength and virtually no creep. It is 5 times stronger than steel on a weight to weight basis and 10 times stronger than aluminium. Vectran® fibre is dimensionally stable and exhibits excellent thermal stability from cryogenic temperatures up to elevated temperatures.

CHARACTERISTICS
Strength Very high
Stretch Extremely low, less than 1% stretch while pulling @ 30% of the minimum break strength
Weight Heavy (1.39 SG)
Melting point 625°F (329°C)
Bleaches / Solvents Excellent
Weak acids / alkali Excellent
Strong acids / alkali Some strength loss in alkali at high temperatures.
Abrasion resistance Good
Mildew / aging / UV Good, UV causes degradation

Standard ABL products made with this fibre include Vectro-12™, Vantage™.

Technora® Fiber – Characteristics

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Technora® is an para-aramid fiber made from copolymers, it has high tensile strength and excellent resistance to heat and chemicals (especially acids and alkalis).

CHARACTERISTICS
Strength Very high (weight for weight, it is 8 times as strong as steel)
Stretch Very low ~1.2% @ 30%
Creep low
Weight Heavy (1.39 SG)
Decomposition point 800F – 952F (427C-511C)
Bleaches / Solvents Poor / Excellent
Weak acids / alkali Good
Strong acids / alkali Poor
Abrasion resistance Fair to Good
Mildew / ageing / UV Excellent
Water Absorption (fibre) 0%

Polypropylene Fibre Characteristics

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Polypropylene fibre (PP) is an olefin fibre, olefin fibres float on water as they have the lowest specific gravity of all fibres.

  • MFP (Multi-filament Polypropylene) – This fibre yarn is made with many long continuous filaments measuring less than 0.1mm in diameter. This fibre has a soft feel and
  • Mono-filament Polypropylene –  This yarn is made with single filaments ranging in diameters from 0.03mm to 0.3mm, products made with mono-filament polypropylene are very coarse and generally do not feel nice to the touch.
CHARACTERISTICS
Strength Weak
Stretch High, ~15% stretch while pulling @ 30% of the minimum tensile strength
Weight Very light (0.94 SG)
Melting point 300°F (149°C)
Bleaches / Solvents Excellent
Weak acids / alkali Excellent
Strong acids / alkali Excellent
Abrasion resistance Poor – Good
Mildew / ageing / UV Excellent resistance to mildew / adequate UV*

*UV resistance can be improved by adding a UV resistant coating.

Standard ABL products made with this fibre include Brizo™, Double-Lite™.

Nylon Fibre Characteristics (poly-amide fibre)

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Nylon fibre (poly-amide fibre) has the highest elasticity compared to other conventional fibres. Nylon has greater resistance to abrasion than polyester and a good resistance to temperatures. Unlike other fibres, nylon loses 10-15% of its strength when wet however, if unused and left to dry, the lost strength is regained once the rope has been allowed to dry completely.

CHARACTERISTICS
Strength Good
Stretch High, ~5% – 12% stretch (dry) while pulling @ 30% of the minimum break strength
Weight Moderate (1.14 SG)
Melting point 420°F (215°C)
Bleaches / Solvents Will bleach / Degrades in mineral acids
Weak acids / alkali Resists
Strong acids / alkali Will dissolve
Abrasion resistance Excellent
Mildew / Ageing / UV Excellent / Excellent / Degrades after prolonged exposure

Standard ABL products made with this fibre can be seen here www.atlanticbraids.com/products/by-material/nylon.

Polyester Fibre Characteristics

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Polyester fibre (polyethylene terephthalate fiber PET) owes much of its renowned durability to the fact that it is UV resistant and does not quickly lose its strength due to cyclic loading (proper repeated use). Nylon has better abrasion resistance however, polyester performs better against the combination of friction and heat due to its high melting point.

CHARACTERISTICS
Strength Good
Stretch Low ~3% – 8% @ 30%
Weight Heavy (1.38 SG)
Softening point 465°F (240°C)
Melting point 500°F (260°C)
Bleaches / Solvents Excellent
Weak acids / alkali Good
Strong acids / alkali Moderate
Abrasion resistance Excellent
Mildew / aging / UV Excellent / Good / Degrades after prolonged exposure

Standard ABL products made with this fibre can be found here www.atlanticbraids.com/products/by-material/polyester.