DSM Dyneema's medical grade fiber, Dyneema Purity® is relatively a new fiber developed, which permits use in surgical products. These surgical products are significantly smaller than existing devices due to the materials' high strength and low weight, with the braid (suture or tape) being about half the thickness of similar polyester products. This property in itself enables the design of smaller implants, such as stronger but thinner sutures, which in turn results in smaller knots with the potential to reduce patient discomfort. The smaller implants integrate perfectly with the very popular development and application of new, minimally invasive surgical techniques. The benefits of such arthroscopic and endoscopic techniques lead to shorter hospitalization time and faster recovery times, also leading to a lower total cost of care. While steel wires are stiff, inflexible, sharp-edged and prone to fatigue for surgical cables, the new material is smooth and flexible. making it easier to work with during procedures. Also, these sutures braided with soft and synthetic fibers will be less likely to cut into bones, and will not have the sharp edges that sometimes cut surgeons. Orthopaedic sutures show size reduction and superior strength, yet at a diameter that is almost half that of a comparably polyester product. In certain instances this can provide an advantage for the patient, since the thinner sutures automatically lead to smaller knots that might have a direct positive influence on the comfort for the patient. For instance, during anthroscopic procedures, sutures made with Dyneema Purity® SGX (specifically developed proprietary UHMWPE fiber) in combination with anchors have ability to withstand enormous pressure exerted by the knot-pushing devices. This reduces the breakages during surgery and allows surgeons to make more secure knots that lead to improved patient results.
The most recent advancements in the medical grade Dyneema Purity® fiber is the development of Purity UG grade polyethylene fiber which is 25% stronger than the original Purity SGX product (tensile strength of 32 cN/dtex). The fibre's enhanced creep resistance supports the development of strong, stable orthopaedic implants that retain their performance over a longer period of time than existing materials. The UG grade also features remarkable pliability, smoothness, low coefficient of friction and fatigue resistance. Currently, this fiber is readily available with 110, 165 and 440 dtex and filament thickness of about 11 µm. The product has been fully tested for genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, sensitization/irritation, haemocompatibility, pyrogenicity, and mutagenicity according to ISO standards.
While the Purity UG grades are ideal for use in long term stable orthoepaedic implants, TG grades are perfectly suited for smaller, low profile and minimal invasive surgery procedures. This grade offers the same strength as Purity SGX grades (tensile strength of 32 cN/dtex) at significantly reduced diameter. TG grade fiber shows improved balance between strength and volume and is available at 25 dtex yarns composed of 25 filaments of 15 µm each. Also, the fibers show extremely low COF of 0.10. For instance, inside a catherer this would support easy sliding against other materials. The invasiveness of the surgery is reduced to a great extent by noteworthy softness of the fiber along with its chemical inertness thereby speeding recovery times and enhances patient compliance and comfort.

Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber� invented, is a ultra high strength polyethylene fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. Produced using the patented gel spinning process, it is up to 15 times stronger than steel ( tenacity ranging from 2.7 to 4 N/tex) and, weight-for-weight, is 40% stronger than aramid fibers. It has high energy absorption, twice as compared to aramid fibers and high stability with an extremely low t hermal expansion coefficient of -12 x 10-6 per K . Dyneema® floats on water, and is extremely resistant to abrasion, moisture, UV rays and chemicals. Also, the fiber exhibits sheer smoothness with an extremely low coefficient of friction (0.04) . This wonder fiber with a lethal combination of maximum strength and minimum weight has a wide gamut of applications for several end-use markets. As per the specific applications, Dyneema product range consists of a three grade groups � Dyneema® UD:
The fiber can offer protection to soldiers, police officers, security guards, money transporters, and VIP's. The strength and low weight makes such high protection level possible, while allowing people to move around freely and comfortably. In bullet-proof vests, the fiber exhibits a sonic velocity of 11,000 m/s. Weight-for-weight, vests containing Dyneema® UD offer better protection against more aggressive bullets than any other material. The blunt trauma effect that a bullet's impact has on the body is greatly reduced by the unique unidirectional construction of this fiber, which effectively spreads and quickly dissipates the bullet's energy. Also, it is not negatively affected by sunlight, chemicals or moisture; however, it can be combined with other materials for protection against specific threats. Furthermore, helmets and armour plates constitute an integral protection component for military personnel, anti-riot police, security guards, money transporters and the like. Helmets safeguards the wearer not only against grenade fragments but also against bullets, at the lowest possible weight. This fiber provides a dual advantage of low weight and high comfort to helmet-bearers. Armour plates provide high level personal protection when incorporated into garments in the form of inserts. The Dyneema-incorporated inserts are ideal for situations in which the level of threat is expected to be high and additional protection is required. In the area of vehicle protection, Dyneema® UD is used to create vehicle armour panels with exceptional properties in spall liners and armor panels for military vehicles, police vehicles, VIP vehicles, transporters, aircraft, ships, and helicopters. Armor panels in vehicles made with Dyneema® can offer protection against full range of ammunition defined in European Standard EN1522-1, from commonly used handgun ammunition to 9 mm full metal jacket bullets. This high strength, low weight fiber can give safeguard against military ball ammunition (including AK47 mild steel core bullets) and antitank projectiles of up to 14.5 mm in combination with a ceramic or steel strike face. In addition, vehicle armour plates can withstand heavier, tank-penetrating projectiles (like APDS kinetic energy projectiles) and mines. Panels made with this fiber offer excellent protection from multiple hits, angle shots, and spall. Spall liners made with this fiber catch the generated spall fragments, and the angle of the spall cone is significantly reduced, decreasing damage considerably. Panels made with Dyneema® also possess good acoustic absorption properties.
Airline security is a potentially new market, especially post-terror attacks of 9/11. The ultra high strength fiber is increasingly being used to provide the ballistic protection now becoming mandatory in airliner cockpit doors. Over 80% of all aircraft in the USA now boast an armored cockpit door containing this fiber
In the offshore industries, ropes made with Dyneema® provide the unique combination of extreme strength, light weight and narrow diameter necessary for offshore industries such as rig mooring, deep-sea operations, anchor handling or offshore positioning. Since the ropes float, they are perfect for use in water, as they remain visible and avoid tangling with subsurface objects. Their low elongation and high degree of stiffness give users greater control and faster handling. Their resistance to the elements means they last longer than other ropes. - an optimal solution to the need faced by leading oil producers to drill and produce oil in deep and ultra-deep water. These ropes have neutral buoyancy, no additional buoys are needed.