NEW DYNEEMA® HB26 FOR BEST LIGHT WEIGHT HARD BALLISTIC PROTECTION PERFORMANCE

Urmond (NL), June 12, 2006 - For protection of military and civilian vehicles against today’s toughest threats – including improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and assault rifles – DSM Dyneema announces the introduction of a new hard ballistic composite. Unsurpassed protection for ships, aircraft and land vehicles, including multi-hit capabilities, flame retardance and heat resistance, can be obtained by using Dyneema® HB26. Further, the new material is exceptionally lightweight – it cuts handling time in half and speeds up production. Dyneema® HB26 will be commercially available in June 2006.

Roshield, a Danish manufacturer of composite protection solutions, has tested Dyneema® HB26 in vehicle protection for the Danish armed forces. According to Peter Bertelsen, Managing Director, “Dyneema® HB26 is used in all solutions Roshield has provided to the Danish Army to be used in Iraq. The solution was tested with other materials and proved to be the best in terms of weight and performance. It was tested with real ammunition at the right protection level (classified) by the Danish Army. We believe the army is satisfied with the solution, which has already proven its capabilities in saving lives in armed conflicts. Dyneema® HB26 has been an improvement to work with in production and we have been happy to test it for DSM Dyneema.”

Dyneema® superstrong polyethylene fiber is the lightest solution on the market and provides formidable protection against ballistic threats including assault rifles such as the AK47 and explosive devices such as IEDs. “The HB26 product delivers a spall liner effect against real weapons, not just in testing with small-calibre fragments as often seen in the market,” said Steen Tanderup, Marketing Manager, Vehicle Protection for DSM Dyneema. “It also shows very promising results for use in inserts and other personal protective gear.” He continued, “For manufacturers, the features of this material reduce the time required for cutting and stacking layers, and can speed up production.”

Dyneema® HB26 is a unidirectional (UD) composite made of several layers of Dyneema® fibers, with the direction of fibers in each layer placed perpendicular to those in the adjacent layers. This unidirectional configuration allows the energy transferred from the impact of a bullet or other threat to be distributed along the fibers much faster and more efficiently than in conventional woven fabrics. The composite provides excellent mechanical rigidity and toughness, resistance to temperature extremes and moisture, and positive buoyancy in water for marine protection.

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