Hello all! My name's Sam. I live in New Zealand.

I'm a newcomer, who's lurked occasionally before. I created an account to ask -- I may be picking up a surplus of Dyneema fabric soon; is anyone interested in buying some? The stuff would be pure Dyneema, that is, no nylon: light, long-lived, UV stable, bullet-resistant, stab-resistant, puncture-resistant twill.

Anyone have an interest?

I'm interested depending on the price.

I am also interested, depending on the price and the fabric specs.

Just a caution.
If the Dyneema you are looking at is the material made for bullet resistant vests it will not work for making gear. The fabric for bullet resistant vests is not bonded to a film, it is just pure woven dyneema fabric. Dyneema fibers are very slippery against themselves and will not hold in a sewn seam, the fibers will just pull away. Dyneema needs to be stabilized with some form of coating or laminate in order to be used as a fabric for backpacks or other gear.

If the fabric you are looking has some form of coating or laminate then disregard this post.

Oh Chris, goooood to know. Thanks. I think I'll amend my purchase requirements. Orrr I could get some kind of adhesive backing that'll bond to the stuff -- 3M makes thermoplastic adhesive strips; I'll contact them and see what can be done. I'd love to be able to sew seams and have a breathable weave.

Alternately -- welded seams?

Edited by warnthepenguins on 09/06/2011 15:06:40 MDT.

I'm interested as well, if the fabric is relatively light (<5oz/square yard) and breathable. I'd rather have a breathable fabric that I can stabilize by impregnating the seams with urethane than a non-breathable fabric that differs little from Cuben.

I have a few questions about it, though. Is this DSM's Dyneema, or a Chinese Dyneema-like fiber? I read a paper in a materials science journal that compared these two and found that the Chinese product (used in huge quantities worldwide for ballistic fabrics and fishing line) had very inconsistent properties and often underperformed. If it is DSM's Dyneema, do you know which grade (sk60, sk75, etc.)?

Just for the sake of argument, I don't think DIY lamination with adhesive film or seam welding will work with dyneema fabric. Adhesives bond to dyneema very weakly, and you won't achieve a good laminate with stock adhesive film and household tools.

Seam welding can only join laminated fabrics. It is the film that welds, not the fibers. Most synthetic fabrics used in outdoor gear (nylon, polyester, polypropylene, dyneema, etc.) are at least somewhat oriented. Melting any of these fibers results in loss of orientation, loss of strength, and shrinking. I doubt that one could find a film that has a lower melting temp than UHMWPE and is strong and adherent enough for seam welding.

What if you melted the edges, to finish them off? Couldn't you then sew them as normal?

I don't see why not. It's worth a try. Could you get a sample to try several seaming methods?

Do you still have Dyneema for sale?