Naveena Denim, Karachi, Pakistan, has an exclusive agreement to develop denim fabrics featuring the new bio-based Dyneema from DSM.
By adding a small percentage, less than 10% of Dyneema to fabrics, the abrasion resistance by 100%, when compared with 100% cotton denim fabrics.
Dyneema is an ultra High-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) that is many times stronger than steel and its ability to replace steel has, for example, resulted in ropes that have 75% less weight, with all of the advantages that brings in terms of towing, mooring, anchoring etc. In addition, ropes made from the fiber have ten times the working life of steel equivalents.
In traditional Dyneema production, the polymer is dissolved in a solvent and then spun through spinnerets in a proprietary process.
Successively, the spun solution is solidified by cooling, which fixes a molecular structure which contains a very low entanglement density of molecular chains. This structure gives an extremely high draw ratio and results in the fiber’s extremely high strength.
The solidified fiber has a gel-like appearance and contains an almost 100% crystalline structure with perfectly arranged molecules, which promotes its extremely high strength, modulus, and other properties.
Rashid Iqbal, executive director at Naveena Denim, said, “We have been partners with DSM since 2015 and together we have produced some of the most durable and strong denims for workwear groups and motorcyclists in Europe and the USA. We share common values when it comes to sustainability and sustainability starts with the enhanced durability of the denim.”
Peto Verdaasdonk, application development specialist at DSM, said, “We are in a unique position because we are the only ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber produced in the world that is backward integrated. This means we have been able to work with our raw material suppliers and arranged that they replace oil-based materials with renewable feedstock. This further enhances the carbon footprint of the fiber.”
