2 Nov 2006
NEW NON-TOXIC ANTIFOULING FOR AQUACULTURE NETS USING DYNEEMA® FIBERS FIND FIRST COMMERCIAL ADOPTION
DSM Dyneema announces the first commercial success of its collaboration with the Dutch company Micanti. DSM Dyneema and Micanti are engaged in the development of strong and tough aquaculture nets with a new, revolutionary non-toxic antifouling treatment. Pinar Deniz, part of Yasar Holdings and one of the largest fish farms in Turkey and Europe, signed a contract in September for the deployment of the netting system at its farms. The combination of the new developed non-toxic Thorn-D® antifouling, from Micanti, with durable Dyneema® fibers, provides long-term, non-toxic resistance to fouling and thus avoids most environmental and fish-health issues. The benefit for the fish farmer is reduced maintenance and lifecycle costs for fouling prevention as well as healthier and larger sized fish.
Pinar Deniz stated: "We believe that the use of nets made with Dyneema® fiber and coated with Thorn-D® is an important step in reducing operational cost and towards non-toxic antifouling. We gladly participate in the project."
Nets made with ultra-strong and tough Dyneema® fibers are established in the fish-farming industry as helping reduce stock escapes and running repairs. Due to their strength, thinner twines can be used, which in turn provides less resistance to water currents for improved cleanliness and oxygenation for healthier fish. Thinner twines also mean less surface area for algae to grow. In addition to the accepted benefits of Dyneema®, DSM Dyneema is constantly looking to further address industry needs.
The Thorn-D® antifouling treatment was developed by Micanti, an innovative provider of fouling defense solutions, and has been tested in various salt and fresh water environments. The major benefit of the coating, besides being non-toxic, is that the coating will remain on the net for a number of years – longer than current, traditional antifouling solutions, decreasing the maintenance cost and the life cycle cost for fouling prevention. Reduction in fouling prevention will also decrease the stress endured by the fish when nets need to be cleaned.
“This is an exciting moment for the fish farming industry. The combination of non-toxic Thorn-D® antifouling with durable Dyneema® fibers in netting will help improve the economics as well as environmental aspects of fish farming,” declared Rik Breur, co-founder of Micanti.
This optimism is shared by André van Wageningen, Market Segment Manager Aquaculture for DSM Dyneema: “As part of our pursuit of innovation to meet market demands, we regularly participate in joint projects to develop new technologies and applications.We are therefore delighted to be involved in this collaboration with Micanti and other leading institutes in the field of aquaculture. We expect this new system will receive recognition in response to the strong drive for non-toxic antifouling in the fish farming industry, as well as to reduce cost of operation and increase profitability at farm level.”
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Notes for editors
About Micanti
Micanti is a highly innovative company focusing on solutions for the Marine industry. It is wholly owned by Material Innovation Centre B.V.. Micanti provides Thorn-D® coated netting systems on various base materials to the fish farming industry. It is also active in the development of coated foils as well as providing other innovative solutions through its distribution organization. Further information is available at www.micanti.com.
Thorn-D® is a registered trademark of Materials Innovation Centre.
Materials Innovation Centre.
Materials Innovation Centre is an innovative company focusing on the application and testing of materials in different ways and the research and development of new materials. In addition to its activities through Micanti, the company focuses on innovative surface engineering solutions, coating integrity measurements and corrosion analyses. Further information is available at www.materialsinnovation.nl.
About DSM Dyneema
DSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufacturer of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™. Dyneema® is an ultra strong polyethylene fiber that offers maximum strength combined with minimum weight. It is up to 15 times stronger than quality steel and up to 40% stronger than aramid fibers, both on weight for weight basis. Dyneema® floats on water and is extremely durable and resistant to moisture, UV light and chemicals. The applications are therefore more or less unlimited. Dyneema® is an important component in ropes, cables and nets in the fishing, shipping and offshore industries. Dyneema® is also used in safety gloves for the metalworking industry and in fine yarns for applications in sporting goods and the medical sector. In addition, Dyneema® is also used in bullet resistant armor and clothing for police and military personnel.
Dyneema® is produced in Heerlen (The Netherlands) and in Greenville, North Carolina (U.S.A.). DSM Dyneema is also a partner in a high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) manufacturing joint venture in Japan. Further information on DSM Dyneema is available at www.dyneema.com and www.asaferplacetogrow.com
About DSM
DSM is active worldwide in nutritional and pharma ingredients, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company creates innovative products and services that help improve the quality of life. DSM's products are used in a wide range of end markets and applications such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics & electronics (E&E). DSM's strategy, named Vision 2010 - Building on Strengths, focuses on accelerating profitable and innovative growth of the company's specialties portfolio. Market-driven growth, innovation and increased presence in emerging economies are key drivers of this strategy. The group has annual sales of over EUR 8 billion and employs some 22,000 people worldwide. DSM ranks among the global leaders in many of its fields. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Dyneema® and Dyneema®, the world's strongest fiber™ are trademark(s) (applications) owned by Royal DSM N.V..
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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