Spectra

Spectra fibre is one of the worlds strongest and lightest synthetic fibres invented by Dutch named Holland in 1979 and introduced by Honeywell in the 80’s.  Spectra fibre is a brilliant white polyethylene and pound-for-pound, ten times stronger than steel.

In addition to its exceptional robustness, Spectra fibre is extremely light, light enough to float and has very high resistance to chemicals such as bleach.  The products made of this great fibre can resist ultraviolet light, abrasion and are water proof.  The fibre has a low coefficient of friction which allows the blade of a knife to skid easily on the surface.  When woven with fibreglass, cotton yarn or other synthetic fibres, Spectra is an ideal fibre, which can be used for the manufacturing of cut & slash resistance clothing and gloves as well as body armour for military, police and security personnel.

The high strength and resistance to wear contribute to yet another dynamic property found in SPECTRA products.  The high degree of alignment and crystallinity within the fiber produce an extremely cut resistant material.  Spectra has been utilised in many applications solely because of the cut resistant benefits that it can offer a product.  This translates into fabric systems with an equally high resistance to tearing and ripping, indicating the potential for an extremely superior rip stop fabric.

Spectra fibre is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).  The polyethylene forms long polymeric chains with a carbon-to-carbon molecular structure similar to that of a diamond.  The unique gel-spinning process and subsequent drawing steps allow the fibre to have a much higher melting temperature (150°C) than standard polyethylene.