Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), also known as Cuben Fiber (CTF3), is a high-performance non-woven composite material used in high-strength, low-weight applications. It is constructed from a thin sheet of

ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMW) is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as high-modulus polyethylene, (HMPE), it has extremely long chains, with a molecular mass usually between 3.5 and 7.5 million amu. T ...

(UHMWPE, "Dyneema") laminated between two sheets of

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...

. It is used in various applications that call for a fabric with high

tensile strength Ultimate tensile strength (UTS), often shortened to tensile strength (TS), ultimate strength, or F_\text within equations, is the maximum stress that a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking. In brittle materials t ...

, but where low weight is desirable, such as

sails A sail is a tensile structure—which is made from fabric or other membrane materials—that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may ...

and

ultralight backpacking Ultralight backpacking is a subset of lightweight backpacking, a style of backpacking which emphasizes carrying the lightest and least amount of gear. While no technical standards exist, some United States hikers consider "ultralight" to mean an ...

equipment. The material was developed by the Cuben Fiber and Cubic Tech Corporations in the 1990s. In 2015, Cubic Tech was acquired by

DSM DSM or dsm may refer to: Science and technology * Deep space maneuver * Design structure matrix or dependency structure matrix, a representation of a system or project * Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ** DSM-5, the fifth ed ...

, their supplier for the UHMWPE fiber. The product was subsequently renamed "Dyneema Composite Fabric" ("DCF"), a generic brand name DSM uses for all of their composite products which incorporate UHMWPE.

History

The name Cuben Fiber was coined by the press in reference to

America³ ''America'' (pronounced "America Cubed") is the name of both a syndicate that vied for the America's Cup in 1992 and 1995 and its boats. 1992 Cup victory The program was operated by Bill Koch and Harry "Buddy" Melges in the 1992 America's Cup ...

(pronounced ''America Cubed''), the winner of the 1992

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

. During the 1992 Cup, that yacht reportedly used sails made from precursors to the currently available commercial product. In late 2007, the Cuben Fiber Corporation was acquired by

North Sails North Sails is an international sailmaker and sailing wear company with operations in 29 countries. The company designs, engineers and manufactures sails for racing and cruising sailboats from 8 feet (2.5m) to more-than 200 feet (60m) in length. Li ...

. North Sails said they would continue to supply the materials to competitors when available. Cubic Tech Corporation has the exclusive rights to develop and sell "Cuben Fiber" laminates for all non-sailing applications. On 13 May 2015, a news release was announced from Heerlen, Netherlands that Cubic Tech Corporation had been bought out by Dyneema, a subsidiary of DSM Dyneema, a subsidiary of DSM, officially known as Koninklijke Dsm Nv. Additional details about the buyout and the future of Cubic Tech Corp were revealed in an online Q&A with DSM.

Production

Dyneema Composite Fabric is a laminated fabric constructed from

ultra high molecular weight polyethylene Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, UHMW) is a subset of the thermoplastic polyethylene. Also known as high-modulus polyethylene, (HMPE), it has extremely long chains, with a molecular mass usually between 3.5 and 7.5 million amu. T ...

(UHMWPE) fiber monofilaments and

polyvinyl fluoride Polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) or –(CH2CHF)n– is a polymer material mainly used in the flammability-lowering coatings of airplane interiors and photovoltaic module backsheets. It is also used in raincoats and metal sheeting. Polyvinyl fluoride is a ...

, etc. films. Cuben fiber is sometimes confused with

carbon fiber Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...

, one of the many fibers used as a reinforcement in some Cuben Fiber laminates. Cubic Tech Corporation's ultra-high performance flexible laminates were re-branded from Cuben Fiber to CTF3 in 2009. Cubic Tech Corp produces CTF3 with a wide variety of fibers such as

Vectran Vectran is a manufactured fiber, spun from a liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) created by Celanese Corporation and now manufactured by Kuraray. Chemically it is an aromatic polyester produced by the polycondensation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 6-hydr ...

, carbon,

Kevlar Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s a ...

, etc. In August 2013 it was announced that Cubic Tech Corp. had produced a version of their waterproof breathable fabric which utilizes the GE eVent fabric.

Uses

The material is used in

yachting Yachting is the use of recreational boats and ships called ''yachts'' for racing or cruising. Yachts are distinguished from working ships mainly by their leisure purpose. "Yacht" derives from the Dutch word '' jacht'' ("hunt"). With sailboats, t ...

, performance sailing,

windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...

, inflatables, airship hulls, medical applications and increasingly in

equipment, such as tents and backpacks. Similar to sails made from traditional woven sail cloth, Dyneema Composite Fabric sails are constructed from panels that are bonded and sewn together, as opposed to 3DL sails that are laminated over a mold. The material is reportedly more durable than laminated sails of comparable strength while being lighter in weight. UHMWPE has excellent resistance to

ultraviolet Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nanometer, nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 Hertz, PHz) to 400 nm (750 Hertz, THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than ...

light and is less prone to disintegrate from repeated flexing than either Kevlar or carbon fiber.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Dyneema® Fabrics
Synthetic fibers Sailing equipment

History

Production

Uses

See also

References

External links