Zotefoams to provide cellular foams to personal protection expert Design Blue Ltd.

Zotefoams plc (Croydon, U.K.), manufacturing a range of cellular materials technology, has entered into an exclusivity agreement with design and technology company, Design Blue Ltd. (DBL, Croydon) in relation to a newly launched foam material, developed in partnership with DBL, for high-performance impact protection solutions for the defense and law enforcement sectors.

For the first time, Zotefoams’ Zotek NC, a closed cell, crosslinked, lightweight high-performance, nylon-based foam, will be designed into D3O body armor and ballistic helmet liner systems, offering high levels of impact protection at light weight. Zotefoams are comprised of polyolefins and engineering polymers for global use in sports, construction, marine, automation, medical equipment and aerospace.

Unlike conventional manufacturing methods, Zotefoams’ three-stage autoclave process uses only temperature, pressure and inert nitrogen as the expansion medium. With the absence of chemical foaming agents, the company claims that this is a highly environmentally friendly foam production methods and results in materials that are durable, notably pure and consistent compared to foams produced by other methods.

DBL designs and manufactures high-performance, shock-absorbing ballistic solutions under the D3O and Delta Three Oscar brand, producing solutions for global customers that include the U.S. Department of Defense, Harley Davidson, Fox and Adidas. As well as being used by Formula 1 and NASCAR race teams, D3O materials can be found throughout a wide range of categories including sports, electronics, motorcycle, automotive, defense and law enforcement.

“This partnership enables D3O to take another step towards our vision of saving lives,” Stuart Sawyer, DBL CEO, says. “By combining D3O’s strengths of protecting people, with Zotefoams’ technology, we are introducing a new era of ultra-lightweight, environment-stable ballistic protection that will re-define the industry standard of protection.”